One Fell Swoop
by Nightrous
Summary: "If you choose this power, you will lose everyone you love". How much would you be willing to sacrifice in pursuit an enemy that took your life from you? Follow the journey of a Mage and her Champion on their quest for vengeance as they are torn apart by the cruel reality of the world of Runeterra, fueled by deceit, envy, betrayal and pride. Rated M for potential smut/adult themes.
1. Prologue

**ONE FELL SWOOP - PROLOGUE**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note:** **Hey Readers! This is a new fanfic I decided to come up with on a whim, and because I haven't done much planning or plotting on paper, this is more of a concept in my mind for a potential story. I would call it more of a "test" chapter to see how readers would respond to it, so I highly encourage you to post how you feel about this introductory piece in the Comment/Review section at the bottom.**

 **Just to sum it up, in case it wasn't made clear in the Story Summary, this fanfic revolves around an up-and-coming Champion who, to his peers, is a prodigy, and with his Mage (We used to call them Summoners but I had to change it because of Riot's MASSIVE change in lore) embarks on a journey that could either bring them closer than ever before or threaten to tear them apart. They learn that with fame, comes deceit, betrayal, and jealousy.**

 *****For those of you who are confused as to whether my story is AU or not, it is because it has a lot of the newer elements from Riot Games' updated lore. I would advise you to check out this Dev Blog that their Lore Team posted: en/creative-spotlight/dev-blog-exploring-runeterra. However, I will have to emphasize that a large chunk is indeed AU, including my entire recreation of some Champions' origins and backstories.**

 **That's about it for this long A/N!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Prologue

"He must have had guts to that," she commented.

A large man laughed deeply and slammed his mug down on the wooden table, drawing attention from the likes of both crew and common people. Only those who had hidden themselves in the corners of the infamous pub, _The Treasure of Bilgewater_ , escaped the man's booming voice.

"I think the word you're looking for is _audacity_ ," he responded to the young lady sitting across from him.

"I think the word _you're_ looking for is balls," She smirked. "Not that you have any,"

"I think you're a bit old for that childish joke, Sarah."

The lady curved her lips and pouted.

"Who're you to judge me Gangplank?"

"Well, if we're planning to prolong this alliance, you better start letting me judge you, Fortune."

The lady winked.

"Who said I wanted to prolong this alliance?" She chuckled.

"Sometimes, women terrify me, sometimes, they know _exactly_ how to get under your skin," Gangplank growled.

"Play nice," said Miss Fortune playfully.

Gangplank raised his eyebrows, his Captain's Cap moving with his shifting countenance.

"Or you won't get to see me the next time our crews meet," Miss Fortune added. Gangplank leaned across the table towards her with an intimidating look on his face.

"Now look here, Fortune, don't you get cocky with me—"

She didn't budge, instead closing the distance between their faces by imitating him.

"You don't need to be so serious about everything," she said teasingly. "Take a joke every once in a while."

Although Miss Fortune smiled, her heart still bled from the scars of the many battles they fought against one another.

It was hard.

It was hard knowing that every single battle they fought, every life that was lost to the blade of a sabre or the explosion of a sinking ship, was for nothing. She yearned to express her emotions, to lean on someone—someone strong—instead of keeping it all bottled up inside of her. She wanted to say, " _I've already forgiven you for your actions against my family because I know it wasn't your fault. I know you were under the influence of the void._ "

But these weren't words for her to say to Gangplank. These were words that Gangplank needed to tell himself. And until he could bring himself to forgive himself, she could not lean on him yet.

She closed the distance between their faces even more—close enough to kiss him. She hesitated and at the last moment, she sighed and pulled away.

"Come on—we're partners now, aren't we?" She forced a smile. Raising her mug in the air, she called for a toast to push away the dark thoughts. "Three cheers for the Cure!"

"For the Cure!" her crewmates repeated and smashed their mugs together, cheering heartily.

Ever since the Curse of the Void had been discovered and finally dispelled by the League of Legend's most powerful Mages, many individuals across Runeterra who once had reputed dark, butted, and questionable histories were redeemed of their incriminating, unthinkable deeds. Their crimes were determined to have been influenced by the Curse, which allowed corrupt energies to flow directly from the void into the minds of heroes, warriors, and common-people alike. Champions of the League of Legends suffered the most from the malady, and thus were first to be treated by the _Cure_ , a project headed by the mysterious, almost mythical Mage dubbed _The Mender_ by most inhabitants of Runeterra.

For instance, Riven of Noxus, rumored to have murdered an Ionian Elder in cold blood was revealed to have been another victim of the Void. Renekton, an Ascended from the Desert of Shurima was driven to madness by the Curse, relentlessly pursuing his brother with murderous intent until his Curse was lifted. The Curse was said to have affected even the farthest of worlds, corrupting an ancient, angelic world known by a scarce few as _Elysium._ It brought forth the _Fallen Angels_ , the most infamous of its victims from that world being Morgana. Unfortunately, she was bound by darker magics than most, and even though the Curse was lifted, she continued her descent into darkness.

As for Gangplank—well . . . Miss Fortune wouldn't exactly call him a full-time _Champion_. After all, in her eyes, the League was simply a cheap fighting pit for those with violent, blood-thirsty tendencies—not its supposed status as the last legacy of a glorious battlefield known as the Summoners Rift.

 _A_ s _tory only children and imbeciles would believe_ , she scoffed to herself.

Gangplank was—in her eyes—above them. _Yes_ —he did participate in the League's matches from time to time and so did she, but primarily for purposes of physical training and as an opportunity to observe or learn about various fighting techniques from across all of Runeterra. After all, there are men _and_ women in the ports of Bilgewater who would kill for an opportunity to slit Gangplank's throat. Not everyone saw reason as well as Miss Fortune did.

But there were exceptions to perception of the League. Not every individual who fought within the League was a blood thirsty gladiator. The most powerful Mages and their champions that ruled the top ranks of the League were highly respected and held in the highest regard. The top five mages were hailed as the 'Five Kings', each of whom eventually formed their own factions. The Five Kings each chose four other Challenger-level Mages as their most trusted 'Generals' who always fought by their side.

The five factions came to be known as: the High Royalty, the Warring Dynasty, the Divinity, the Frostguard and the Evolution. They fought one another in a constantly struggle for the top spot in the League's Headquarters' largest stadium known as the _Challenger Arena,_ or simply, _The Arena,_ which was located in the capital city of Valoran. The city existed independent of all the other surrounding nations, acting as a centre of all international trade and League activities _._ Of course, therewere other stadiums—other Arenas—that were built across the continent of Valoran, but those were the very fighting pits that Miss Fortune despised.

In order to maintain order and balance between the great and powerful, the League created their own team of highly-competent Mages and Champions. The team was dubbed the Star Guardians, bestowed with the power to draw celestial energies from the stars by Aurelion Sol, the Star Forger. The cosmic dragon had struck up an agreement with the League to protect it in times of great need—in exchange for granting it freedom in every other possible aspect.

If she worked for it, Miss Fortune could probably find her way into a faction of the Five Kings. After all, she was classified by the League to be one of the 132 official _'Legends'_ , which had become a rather bothersome hassle due to the all the unwanted attention that came with her fame. Not all Champions were required to fight in matches, and remaining idle for extended periods of time did not hold the risk of the revocation of one's status as a _Champion._ The female Captain was one of those Champions, and preferred a more peaceful life with Gangplank and their crews. Nevertheless, this was not to say Bilgewater, of all places, was peaceful; it was simply more appealing than delving into the many politically complex aspects of the League.

"Fortune, you looked dazed." A man dressed in a brown long-coat with a high-crowned, wide-brimmed fedora on his head strode towards the two Captains.

Miss Fortune, still lost in her thoughts, was startled by the sudden intrusion of a certain individual with an unmistakable smile of mischief. After a moment of silence, she addressed him with a curt nod.

"Tobias. What've you come here for?"

The man shrugged. "You can call me Fate. Twisted Fate, if it's not too difficult for you."

"I don't give a single damn as to what the League calls you, _Jack of Hearts._ " she replied swiftly. "Don't you have better things to do—like, say—convincing Graves to join your faction or perhaps, protecting your King?"

"Nah, protecting my King is my Mage's responsibility, not mine. If my mage needs me, all I need to do is open a _Gate_ and step through to the other side. And Graves wants to stick with his Riot Squadron—with Caitlyn and Blitzcrank, and those talking creatures, Captain Volibear and Constable Trundle. They really take their policing responsibilities too seriously. I mean, I don't understand why the League needs policing with the Ascended _and_ the Wardens _AND_ that star-dragon protecting it."

"Yeah, I heard the League even hired Jax as one of the Wardens." Gangplank commented. Miss Fortune gave him a disappointing look that said _'Really? You had to agree with him?'_ and Gangplank raised his hands in surrender, leaning back on his chair.

"Okay, then what do you need from us?" She repeated her previous question. Then, sarcastically, she added, "— _Twisted Fate."_

The man smiled, satisfied with his Champion name being spoken. "It's not what I _need._ It's what I want to _talk_ _about_."

Miss Fortune sighed, then looked at Gangplank for approval, who nodded in reluctance.

"Are you asking for a private conversation?" she asked.

Twisted Fate shook his head. "Gangplank, should probable be in this conversation too. I would call Graves over but—"

The man glanced over towards the entrance of the pub, eyeing another burly man with a massive double-barrelled shot gun resting on his shoulder.

"I'm not giving him another opportunity to issue death threats to me throughout the entire time I'm talking."

"Fair enough," said Gangplank. "Make it quick."

"It's about the individual you two birds were so eagerly gossiping about five minutes before I entered your little private, cozy bubble."

Miss Fortune's face reddened, and she dipped her head so the shadow of her Captain's Cap would hide the growing blush on her face.

"W-we are not anything of the sorts." she tried to sound genuine, but it was not very convincing. Gangplank didn't seem to show any trace of emotion or reaction so Twisted Fate continued.

"The new . . . _participant_ ," he lined the last word with spite. "I faced him in battle."

All of a sudden, Miss Fortune and Gangplank all leaned forward with curiosity. He had their attention.

"After he had the—ehm—what was the word you used Fortune? Ah yes, after he had the _balls_ to walk away from a fight with Syndra, she took it as an insult— _classic Syndra reaction_ —and charged head-on towards him, planning to take him down with his back turned to her. I, with all my luck, happened to queue into the same 'Normals' match as the egotistical Queen, who I swore I would not team up with if it was not a Ranked match. It was at that moment that I witnessed the fastest take-down of _any_ Champion in all my years of fighting at the League. I swear it couldn't have been more than a second."

"A one-shot?" asked Miss Fortune, appalled.

"Not just _any_ one-shot," he replied, with fatigue suddenly reducing his speech to a murmur. "I used _Destiny_ to observe the attack with True Sight. It was as if he bended space and time and landed a single, powerful blow to her head. There's no way he could've closed the distance between them by foot."

"After striking her down, there was a bright red flash and I felt a sharp blow to my back. I blacked out after that." He paused to catch his breath then exhaled deeply.

"He escaped the _Eyes_ of my _Destiny._ Nobody has ever escaped _Destiny_. Nobody."

 ** _. . ._**

 _ **Somewhere in the heavily guarded fortress of the Immortal Bastion, the Noxian High Command gathers in a dimly lit, room, resembling an old hallway of sorts. Whispers are the only sounds that echo throughout what would be a giant, empty space, if not for the long-table at the center of the room, sitting all members of the High Command.**_

"I take it, we all decided to become more—civilized." A voice spoke, barely a whisper, yet distinguishable above the rest due to its rasping-nature, almost like metal scraping the very walls of the chamber. It silenced the other members of the High Command.

The voice's owner revealed himself as he walked—no, rather—as he _hobbled_ out of the shadows, as silent as the chamber, the only sign of his physical presence indicated by the _clack, clack, clack,_ of his wooden cane hitting the cold marble floor. The jet-black crow on perched on his shoulder was just as silent. Behind him followed three individuals, each distinctly dressed, and slipping out of the shadows just as quietly as their leader. The dim ray of light from a nearby tall window revealed three pale faces and one dark skinned man, who was much larger than his leader and his two accomplices. He, the other smaller man, and the third—a scarcely clothed female warrior—remained standing as their leader took a seat at the head of the long-table.

The female individual sitting directly across from the crippled leader finally addressed him.

" _Maassster Sswainnn_ ," her voice drawled and hissed at each consonant. " _We are—howw ssshould I phhraasse it—dissscussssing the arrival of the neww champion."_

The man gave a crooked smile, its edges twisting upwards with habitual malice.

"Oh Cassie, don't let me stop you from discussing _important_ matters. You may continue."

" _Of courssse, Maassster Sswainnn,"_ she replied with a sly grin. She placed both her hands on the table, and in the place of her fingers were wicked-sharp, golden claws. They tapped on the table rhythmically.

" _He callssss himssself The Reaver, and he onlyyy allows one mage to enter into Sync with him. We do not knowww the mage's name, only that she is female._ "

Swain interrupts her.

"Cassie, oh Cassie, must I remind you to speak normally, not in the creepy, hissing persona of yours? I dare say you're frightening some members of our High Command. Despite how much they may deny the feeling of fear."

Cassiopeia dipped her head in acknowledged. She cleared her throat.

"My apologies, Master Swain, the _Serpent's Curse_ still affects me, more than I care to admit."

Swain nodded and the serpentine woman continued.

"We know not of his abilities in detail, only that he strikes with unrivaled strength, speed, and precision. I have not faced him in battle but—"

"I have."

Even Swain looked slightly surprised at the large, heavily armored man, with an even larger battle-ax strapped to his back, who evidently, rarely spoke up in such meetings.

"And what of the experience, General Darius?" Cassiopeia inquired, slightly smirking. "Any other insights you would enlighten us with?"

Darius glared menacingly at the woman and growled.

"I will _not_ be mocked by the likes of you, Du Couteau. I don't care how powerful your family is." Darius turned to the rest of High Command. "All who face him in battle witness the same things. Before a blow lands, a bright, red flash precedes it. I suspect there is a secret behind his strength and speed. It is—unnatural."

"Nevertheless, a _valuable_ asset."

Everyone in the room looked at Swain with widened eyes. The man sitting on Swain's left found the courage to speak. "But Master Swain, he seems unreliable—a fickle and vain investment at the best. He would cause anarchy in the ranks of our Noxian soldiers. In addition to that, we don't even know his allegiances."

In less than a tenth of a second, Swain stood up inhumanly quickly and swung the head of his cane at the man. The head connected with the man's chest, sending him flying to a nearby pillar. The man hit the pillar are crumpled to the floor with a sickening _thud._ Swain's eyes swept from one end of the table to another, searching for a challenger. There were none.

"My ideologies are not to be _questioned_ , is that clear my friends?" He said to the men who were definitely not friends. "We are NOXIANS. We value strength, do we not? Never forget that. Or I will personally see to your demise."

Everyone but Cassiopeia and Swain's three followers were frozen by fear. After a few awkward moments of silence. Swain cackled to himself.

"Oh would someone _please_ take that heap of broken bones to the infirmary. He's not quite dead—yet."

Two men stood from their seats and hurriedly strode over to the unconscious victim of Swain's wrath, lifting him up by the arms and dragging him out of the room. Swain sighed and sat back down.

"The only thing I value more than strength is obedience. _Unwavering loyalty._ "

 **. . .**

"That's insane Irena, who ever thought that record would be broken?"

"That's what they told me at the Council meeting. And would you stop calling me by my _actual_ name? That's unprofessional _Akali_." Irena made sure to emphasize on the name of her friend. "See? I call you Akali, not Ariel. Let's starting using the names our masters have given us, okay?"

The two girls stared into each other's eyes, daring the other to blink first. Akali lost focus and surrendered victory to her friend, who patted her on the back.

"Now, what's my name again?"

"Fine, _Irelia_. If that makes you feel better." Akali smirked.

"Hey, those are actual warrior names, not _normal_ names. They sound significantly more sophisticated for people like us." Irelia protested.

"You're cute when you make that pouting face, you know." Akali teased her friend. Irelia blushed at the compliment, which prompted Akali to continue.

"I don't understand how you're still single."

Irelia grew redder at the comment, whipping around whilst trying to find a reason to be angry. She couldn't.

"A-Akali, why don't you speak for yourself?"

Akali rolled her eyes, as if the reason were obvious.

"You _know_ why. The Kinkou Order strictly prohibits those kinds of emotions or activities. I can't even hold hands with Shen if I wanted to, and I work with him _every_ damn day."

Irelia sported a mischievous smile. "We both know that is not who you actually fancy on a daily basis. Your special someone's name doesn't start with an 'S'. It starts with a 'Z'."

Now it was Akali's turn to blush and look away to hide her reddening face.

"Okay, I get it. You still haven't elaborated on the _situation_." Akali quickly changed the topic.

"Well, Jax's record of consecutive wins was 152 matches out of a total of 152 matches right? The guy, who calls himself _The Reaver_ , broke that record yesterday. He won his 153rd consecutive match, counting from his first match.

"That's impossible. How have we not even heard of him by the time he struck 30 consecutives?" Akali seemed bemused.

"Rumor has it, that this guy and his Mage started off in the Little Leagues, and then climbed the ranks up till' his Mage struck an ELO equivalent to the low Diamonds. They didn't climb the upper ranks any further than Diamond IV by participating as an unregistered champion, or as a guest member of the League. That way, their Mage could maintain her ELO and fight against Diamond or even Master-level Mages, but not gain any recognition or further rank points." Irelia paused to take a deep breath. "He only recently registered officially with the League."

"Do you think, perhaps, it's possible that _The Reaver_ or his Mage is one of those Magelords or Protectorate Summoners?" Akali said more to herself than to her friend. Regardless, Irelia replied swiftly.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's what a lot of people thought about Jax until we found out he was just a weapons-master. Summoners don't exist anymore. The last of them died out hundreds of years ago."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this PROLOGUE-ish chapter! Once again, please let me know how you feel about this story in the Comment/Review section below! If you liked it, Follow it! If you loved it, Favorite it!**

 ***EDIT 03/24/2017: This Prologue has now evolved into a fully-fledged story! As I was notified by some readers, the first two or three chapters might seem a bit disconnected, but I implore you, keep reading because it only gets better!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	2. Chapter 1: The Calling

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 1**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Hey Readers! So I've finally finished the first chapter, and again, I want to emphasize that this story/fanfic is still mostly in the planning process so the plot-line is still subject to very tentative changes. At this point, I'm still in the experimental process, which is why the update intervals for the next chapter or two will remain relatively long. However, feedback and comments help speed up the process as I DO take into consideration the suggestions and critique of my readers so please, don't be afraid to say something about the story, even if it's negative.**

 **As I stated in the Prologue's note, Riot has made massive lore changes so anyone confused with my use of League terminology, just search up "dev blog Exploring Runeterra" on Google and it'll help clear things up. If there are any questions about the AU material, then feel free to PM me and I will try my best to explain things without spoiling the story ;).**

 **Otherwise, Enjoy the Chapter!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1: The Calling**

 **POV START:**

The Grand Hall was quite peaceful when Mages, Champions, Spectators and Match Moderators weren't rushing about. Its ceiling soared a hundred metres above the swirling marble floor covering the entirety of the place. Warm rays of sunlight shone through the glass windows that stretched just as tall as the ceiling and lit up the Hall with a beautiful glow reciprocating off every surface it touched. It was here that I, along with my two accomplices were sitting at a large mahogany desk, across from a man _so_ bored he looked as if he would be willing to jump off the top of the Grand Hall just to add more spice into his life.

"Just choose a name, it's not that difficult of a task." A girl's voice rang to my left. That was probably Rosalyn, whom we usually call Rose. See—I had my eyes closed for the past 15 minutes trying to think of a name that would suit me, and my accomplices were getting impatient.

"Rose, stop distracting me, I'm trying to think right now," I replied, slightly irritated.

"To be fair, you've been trying to think for the past 35 minutes," said a boy's voice to my right. That was probably Ekko.

"The past _35 minutes_?" I said, letting a little surprise slip into my voice. "I thought it had only been fifteen. And hey, I'm not a person who just enters his real name into registrations like this."

Rosalyn chimed in. "For a guy who's mentor could manipulate time itself, you're terrible at keeping track of time. The clock's ticking, _little guy_. We still have to register for our provisional matches."

Ouch. _Little guy_ stung a bit. I tried to think of a cheeky retort.

"Well—ehm—I'm not my mentor. I have my own set of skills. Oh and not to forget the fact that I once—"

"Kaleb, just choose a fuc—" Ekko shook his hands in the air an exasperated manner.

I couldn't help but smile. "Woah, woah, woah. Mind your language my friend we have a lady in the group. Sheesh Ekko, I did not know you had that in you." I gestured to my left hand side.

"You little piece of scummy—"

"Alright, alright!" said Rose quickly. "Ekko, we don't have to—"

I stood up abruptly, knocking over my chair which crashed onto the marble floor with a loud _bang_ , scaring both Rose and Ekko half to death, and indeed, putting a bit of spice into our registration consultant's life.

"Kaleb, have you gone insane—" Ekko started, but I cut him off.

"I got it! I know what my name as a Champion is going to be."

The man sitting across from us leaned forward and tilted his head. "And that's going to be, young man?"

I exhaled deeply, confirming with my deepest desires. In the end, this was the only name that I felt fit me best.

"Yes. From this day forth, you will know me as _Kassadin_."

 **POV END**

 **. . .**

 _ **Four years ago…**_

The Lunar Festival. Considered by many as an outdated Ionian cultural antiquity, yet still, the village centre was packed with people. The moon shone quite brightly overhead and lit up the village with an abundance of natural light. Strangely, though the moon shone coldly, the night was warm. Some villagers were behind their carts, as if still selling fruit and produce after working hours. Others were simply meandering around the beautiful fountain that was built around the village's Mother Tree. With all the conversations, the inhabitants of this Ionian village formed quite a choir of sounds.

Terrible sounds.

Suddenly, the conversations were no longer conversations. Simply indiscernible, obscure sounds.

They were screaming.

Cries of agony filled the night with an orchestra of pain.

 _This was no Lunar Festival. It was all wrong. It was a bad omen._

 _It was a Blood Moon._

A crackling followed, as the flames that licked at the toes of the dead rose and burned at flesh, burning at fabric, burning at wood—burning at everything in sight. If the village were a vibrant, living being, the fire ate it alive. Soon, the village centre was packed with even more bodies—dead bodies.

The flames grew higher and higher, creating a colossal bonfire of death and destruction. This was not a fire of renewal. It was a fire of spite, madness, and evil. Nothing would be reborn of this village. Nothing would be salvaged from it.

This tragedy was the work of Antoine Milano, the leader of a murderous band of thieves and bandits, all insane and villainous to the core. Their wicked hearts beat with giddy happiness at the sight of suffering and their thoughts, nothing short of sadistic. Sometimes, they wouldn't even steal anything from their victims, for to them, suffering was a much more valuable and priceless product than an entire treasury.

At the epicenter of all this evil, terror, and destruction, witnessing it all was a young girl, no older than fifteen years of age. She was reduced to a shell of emptiness, for the shock had taken away her voice, the pain had taken away her thoughts, and the loss had taken away her heart. She collapsed to her knees, next to the Mother tree, as everything around her burnt, but miraculously, she was untouched, as if a circle of life determinedly surrounded her in a loving grip. The wall of flames around her hid her from the band of thieves.

" _You must live on!"_

Startled, the girl glanced around with fear in her eyes, but as she could not locate the source of the voice, she reverted back to her state of emptiness.

" _You must not give up, my dear."_

The voice was distinctly feminine and familiar. Very, very familiar. As her emotions briefly returned to her, tears streamed from her eyes.

"M-mother? Are you there? Speak to me—please!"

After a brief silence and another moment of crackling from the flames, the voice answered.

"I'm sorry my dear, your mother's gone—gone to a better place. She has moved on from life."

This only caused the girl to weep more intensely. Her sobs shook her shoulders and she choked, convulsing violently.

"My dear, you must listen to me," The voice said kindly. "My name, or rather, what I am, is Anima. The Guardian of Souls."

A brilliant, golden light burst forth from the roots of the Mother tree, then the rays of light bent together in impossible ways until they took the combined form of a humanoid figure of light. Then, reading the girl's thoughts, she spoke again.

"Unfortunately, my abilities cannot bring your mother back to life. But what I can do, is to give you a new life. I pray you will make great leaps in this new life. Forgive the past but do not forget it."

Anima pointed up at the dark night sky.

"Look, my child, someone has come for you."

Something—no, _someone_ was falling from the sky at an incredible speed. An aura of dark violet emanated around him. As he got closer to the ground, he spread his arms and the black cloak that trailed him immediately expanded, slowing his fall. The young man landed gracefully before the girl. As he strode towards he girl, the cloak that concealed his entire body shrunk behind him and through some strange, dark magic, morphed into a cape that dropped down to his heels. The transformation revealed that he was dressed in all black formal wear, a black suit, black dress shirt, black tie, black dress-pants. He even wore black gloves.

However, his face remained concealed by what appeared to be a white porcelain mask, with eye-like black markings where his eyes should have been. His long black hair was tied back in a bun.

"Good evening milady." The young man offered his hand to the girl. "How may I be of service to you?'

Up close, the girl could see, the cape was not made of fabric but large jet-black feathers—a crow's feathers.

Anima interrupted him before the girl could think of an answer.

"Zachariah, thank you for coming at once. I'm sure it may have been . . . difficult to respond so quickly. You must take care of this girl until she is old enough to fight for herself. Make sure either of you do not do anything foolish."

"It is my duty to protect you with my life," the young man told the girl in reassurance.

"Y-you. You're scary. Who are you?" The words could barely escape her lips.

Anima scolded the young man gently. "Zachariah, my dear, you're frightening her."

Zachariah bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, milady."

He slowly, carefully, removed his mask, revealing a warm, handsome, smiling face. The girl relaxed slightly. He crouched down beside her and put his arms around her.

"Don't worry, young one. I'll take care of you from now on."

The girl, with her family dead, her village massacred, and still in a state of incredulous shock could only search for comfort, and she found it—in this young man's warm, reassuring embrace. Under these traumatic circumstances, she found immediate trust in this stranger and the glowing, angelic figure known as Anima.

"I have faith in you Zachariah. Just as you once put your faith in me." Anima's voice grew softer. "My time has come. I am no longer needed in this world, until the Calling summons me again to preserve a great cause."

The angelic figure turned to look the girl in the eye. "This time, the Calling summoned me to protect you, my dear. You hold . . . a particularly special destiny. As such, it is not your time to die yet."

With this, she slowly dissolved into golden specks of dust and faded into the wind. Zachariah's words brought the girl's attention to reality.

"Little one. I have something for you."

He reached behind him and pulled a dark cloak from within his cape. It was identical to the one he was wearing—almost. It was smaller, fitting for the girl, and its feathers were smoother, more beautifully intricate.

"This is made from a raven's feathers," Zachariah explained. "My cloak is that of a crow's. Those who know of my existence call me the Crow Prince."

The girls' eyes widened. "You—you're a prince?"

Zachariah laughed heartily. "You could say so. I once was, but not anymore. You can just call me Zach."

"Zachi. Zaki." Said the girl. Zachariah grinned and nodded.

"Come along now, let us fly."

As the girl looked on in awe, Zachariah's cape split cleanly into two halves and morphed into giant, black wings.

"I'll carry you so hug me tightly, I don't want to drop you."

She complied and he hoisted her up so he could get a firm grip around her waist. She in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head onto his shoulder. She didn't realize how tired she was from crying until this very moment and let out a sigh of fatigue. The girl had no more tears in her.

Even as Zachariah embraced her and patted her back with sympathy, only one thought took place in her head.

" _I hate them. I hate them all. I hate all of you humans_ ," For she could do nothing now but hate, and in her blind spite, she unconsciously made a few exceptions who were exempt from her hatred. Her new protector, Zachariah, was the first of them.

 **. . .**

"Miss? Excuse me, ma'am?"

The man's curt voice brought her back from her episode of pondering.

"I'm sorry, what?" she replied dumbly.

"Ma'am, your name. Have you chosen a name yet?" The man repeated.

As she blinked and looked around her, she saw Kaleb and Ekko staring back at her, with their classic, playfully taunting grins.

"Uhhh, my Mage name. Right." Rosalyn scratched the back of her head, searching for a meaningful name.

 _Damnit. I had a list of names prepared before I came here. How can I not remember any of them._ She thought harder.

 _Phoenix? No._

 _Lynx? Lame._

 _ProHunter? Disgustingly Cheesy._

 _Nightwing? Cliché._

 _Ugh. I had a really good one befo—_

"Rayven." She said suddenly. "My name will be Rayven."

From the glint in Kaleb's eyes and the approving smile from Ekko, she could tell the name suited her. Well of course it would, afterall—

"Thank-you. We will have you fully registered within the next hour. Welcome to the League of Legends." The man smiled at bowed his head.

"It's time." Kaleb said as he grinned from ear to ear.

It was time to show the world, who the three of them really were.

* * *

 **Hope you readers are enjoying the story so far! If you have any thoughts or suggestions about the Story-in-progress, let me know in the Comments/Review section below. If you liked the chapter, follow the story! If you LOVED it, Favorite it!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	3. Chapter 2: Blood Oath

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 2**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: I don't really have much to say, just that I apologize for all these delays in uploading chapters. I'm trying my best to write as well as plan at the same time, not to mention I have other priorities (i.e. life :P), but I assure you readers, the chapters will come quicker once I've wrapped my head around the entire plot line.**

 ***EDIT 03/28/2017: Prologue and Chapter 1 & 2 have been revised and improved to ensure better flow throughout the story. I have added and changed some elements in the dialogue to make them more realistic. The next few chapters should not have the same problem, so I probably won't touch them.**

 **Without further ado, here's the second chapter to this Fanfic! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Blood Oath**

It was always raining in the Capital. Not within the Immortal Bastion, as it stood protected by strange magics, but the areas all around it that was still considered Noxus. A large looming figure stepped beyond the gates of the fortress and into the rain. Subsequently, two figures followed suit, as silent as one could be. The large man turned around and addressed the other two.

"Katarina. Talon. Do what you must to investigate the new champion and return with sufficient intel. As he is not yet classified as a high level threat, you need not kill him. Actually, the Master has decided that he would prefer this subject to remain alive for the time being, as he has yet to determine whether he is could be a potential asset, or simply, a hopeless case. The rules are as usual. You are not permitted to return unless you have succeeded in completing your mission. You are dismissed."

"Understood, General Darius." Talon replied, without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Good. Don't make another rookie mistake this time. Or there won't be a next time." The man said gruffly.

Talon's right eye twitched. "There won't be any mistakes this time, General."

The General turned to face the gates and walked back into the fortress. Immediately, a loud creaking scraped at the ears of those around it and began to close. Moments later, it slammed into the ground, shaking its foundations.

"Well, this is a first." Katarina scratched her head. "Master Swain has never used us for _reconnaissance_. "

Talon scoffed. "Perhaps this mission is too important to be entrusted to the hands of as simple Noxian spy. Perhaps, he prefers we attain our objectives—unnoticed."

"But we're assassins. We kill for our Master. The best defence is an overwhelming offense. How can he, knowing this principle, request for us to do such a thing?"

"Katarina, you're still _so_ young and vain. You won't understand these tactics yourself, don't sweat it."

Katarina fumed. "You must be kidding me. Twenty years of age is _not_ young. And regardless, you're only three months older than I am."

"And they say, females mature at a quicker rate than males. I don't believe it." Talon smirked, knowing this would only further provoke his fellow assassin.

Katarina reached for her knives. "Are you asking for a fight? Because I can give you one right now—"

Talon raised a hand for her attention. "Hush, Kata, let us not quarrel before our fellow Noxians. Especially not at the gates, where guards are everywhere."

The female assassin's frown did not disappear, but she followed Talon through the suburban areas of Noxus, towards the border of the large citadel. They climbed gracefully up to the roofs of Noxian houses and leaped from roof to roof, reaching the _Outer Gates_ of Noxus within minutes. When they started to near the border, Talon began speeding up until the moment before he crashed into the 25 foot stone wall, he jumped and leaped over the wall. Katarina grumbled something about _parkour_ and then closed her eyes, warping out of thin air. Her _shunpo_ took her outside the walls, landing right behind Talon.

Katarina swept her hair back as the rain soaked her from head to toe.

"Are you done running from your fight yet?"

"Goodness, you're so stubborn Kata." Talon stormed off towards the treeline that bordered Noxus. As he reached the trees, he felt a slight change in the breeze and instinctively ducked. Three knives skimmed his hair and _thunked_ into the tree before him. He whipped around.

"Are you crazy? You could've killed me—"

Before Talon could finish his sentence, Katarina disappeared yet again. _Shunpo,_ he thought, as he swung his arm around to catch Katarina, who had warped behind Talon, by the wrist. The wrist that held one of her knives. He twisted, hard enough so that she would drop the knife in pain, but not hard enough to break her wrist. She yelped in surprised and he pulled her around him, slamming her into the thick trunk of a tree. He shifted his hand so that it was at her throat. Using his other hand to take his hood off, he pierced her eyes with a glare.

Katarina simply scowled. "Fight me hand-to-hand, no tricks, no weapons. Fight me, prove to me you're not a coward—"

Katarina was stopped by the surprisingly soft lips that slammed into her own, and the tongue that penetrate her mouth and intertwined with her's. She immediately felt a wave of ecstasy that compelled her to shut her eyes and instinctively place her hands around Talon's waist. Immediately though, she processed her actions and retracted her hands, which now, waved awkwardly in the air, not sure what their place was. _This is not right,_ she thought _._ He caressed the sides of her head gently, then hardened his grip, pulling on her hair, and kissed her with increasing passion.

 _We shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't let him do this._ Then, _but I can't stop him._ And a few moments later, _do I really want to stop him?_

Talon pulled away abruptly. Instead of his usual smugness, it was anger that flared in his eyes. Katarina was taken aback. She was unfamiliar with this look—Talon rarely let his true emotions show.

"Are you done yet? Are you calmed down? Can we focus on the mission now?" Talon's heated questions cut into her like knives.

"W-what are _you_ thinking?!" Talon's anger was contagious and Katarina started to feel irritated as well. "What the hell was that for—?"

"On our last mission. Do you remember _who_ lost control of herself and impatiently tried to eliminate her target when he was _fully guarded?_ "

"It wasn't my fault—I was running out of time!"

"What's gotten into you Katarina?" Talon said bitterly. "Lately, you've been so distracted. And I have to save your ass every—damn—time!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're so full of yourself for covering me aren't you? Such a perfect guy you are." Katarina retorted.

Talon's next look sent a feeling down her spine that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was fear. Talon's stare was ice cold. It was the look he gave his victims before he murdered them ruthlessly.

"I'm nowhere near perfect." Talon said quietly.

"Then don't talk to me like that—" Katarina tried mustering her strength in her next retort but before she could finish, Talon grabbed her wrists and slammed them above her into the thick trunk of the tree. He leaned in close to Katarina until she could feel his breath on her lips. His icy glare sent strange chills through her body that she had never felt before. He spoke without raising his voice.

"I'll stop when you've convinced me that you're clear-headed again."

She could not believe this was happening.

Talon kissed her again, though this time, without as much vigor. He nipped her lower lip gently, letting his presence linger there for a moment. His hands trailed down to the back of her neck, sending tingles down her spine, and then fell to the small of her back, his fingers dancing a hurried waltz of desire. His gentle, teasing touch sent her mind into a fuzzy state. Their breathing became faster, more urgent, and the lack of oxygen between them caused a euphoric rush through Katarina's mind. Finally, she could not stop herself as she let a moan escape her, surprising both herself and Talon, and Talon took this as a sign to stop and allowed his female partner to re-assemble her psychological state and reconfigure the responsibilities of the mission. He breathed in her breath, than exhaled with one of his own, and finally, stepped away from Katarina.

Unsurprisingly, she was frozen in a state of slight shock. Talon still stared into her eyes but the icy look was gone. He almost looked— _sad._

"I'll take that as a sign that you've calmed down. I'll give you a few minutes to reconfigure your thoughts."

Katarina blushed for the first time in her life, and feeling her cheeks growing hot, she pressed the back of her hands against them in embarrassment. She looked away to save her the trouble of not being able to look Talon in the eye with coldness as she usually could.

"You—you're confusing me," was all she could manage. She breathed in deeply. "That was completely counterproductive. I mean sure, I'm not as intent on killing you now but—how can you expect me to focus when you just did . . . that?"

"Are you saying you enjoyed that kiss so much you're afraid you won't be able to stop thinking about it throughout certain instances of our mission?" Talon smirked. He was back to his old self. He twirled a razor in his hand sub-consciously.

"Shut the fuck up, Talon," Katarina grumbled. "Leave me alone for now."

"Take your time, Kata, take your time." Talon leaped up, caught onto a nearby branch, and swung himself up. He climbed to the top of the tree to check their surroundings.

Meanwhile, Katarina waited until Talon was out of sight before allowing her legs to buckle underneath her. As she sat on the grass, her shoulders slumped as if all the energy had left her body. Clutching her chest where her heart was, she closed her eyes.

 _What is going on with me?_ She wondered.

Her breathing was erratic and her heart beat a little quicker than usual. And it wasn't adrenaline.

 _What is this feeling? It's as if a feeling of longing . . . what do they call it nowadays?_

She pressed her hand harder against her chest, trying to force her irregular heartbeat to settle, but to no avail.

 _I think they call this feeling . . ._

 **. . .**

Rose walked nonchalantly along a thin dirt path, trees on either side of her. It was day time and rarely anyone walked, or even knew of this path—her paranoia was unnecessary—but regardless, her instincts told her to keep her guard up in the case of any hostile enemies. Or perhaps someone was watching her from a distance? She shook these thoughts from her head.

She and her companions had split up. Each had their own personal matters to tend to before dedicating all of their time towards attaining their ultimate goal. After their official registration and recognition into the League, they figured it was only appropriate to make the best of their last moments as _independents._ Being an _independent_ , or better known by most as _guest participants_ had its advantages. Freedom. No major obligations. Anonymity.

Rose sighed, already feeling reminiscent and nostalgic before she even started her life as an official Mage. Then again there was another issue to take note of: climbing the ranks. It was not the feat of climbing the ranks that frightened her, but rather the increasing rules, limitations and scrutiny that were consequent the higher she and Kaleb climbed.

Suddenly, she froze.

Approximately fifty metres from where she stood, a man dressed in a pure white-sleeved cloak, watched her intently. Underneath, the man wore a thin white kimono. His hair was white but his face was full of youth and vigour. He raised his hand and waved it around him. In this special place, down this special path, where the touch of weather and wind can be said to have never existed, Rose felt a small breeze brush against her cheek. Her eyes widened as the man smiled.

 _He did this._

The man pulled a flute from under his cloak and took a deep breath. He released the intake of air into the flute, hitting a high note with great power and a moment later, a violent gust blew about, beating at the trees around them. Their ancient branches shook for the first time in ages and, to Rose's shock, their leaves began to fall. _No, not leaves_.

Petals.

Beautiful, pale pink petals.

As they neared the ground, they blew up again, as if coaxed by the flute's high note and began to revolve around the man. With each revolution, they seemed to speed up until hundreds of thousands of petals circulated the man in a flurry. He was barely visible now. At that moment, the sound from his flute stopped abruptly and the petals began to settle. Rose was bemused. When the petals were still and on the ground, the man had disappeared.

She started running towards the spot where she had just seen him, but quickly dropped down to a wary pace. As she got closer, she could see that the man left something behind.

His flute.

 _Why would he leave such an—I'm assuming—important thing behind?_

She arrived at where the man had disappeared, an impossibility from her perspective, and stopped before the flute. Picking it up, she examined it with great care. She found that nothing was out of place. No peculiarities, no special compartments, definitely no conspicuous magic properties—at least not to her knowledge. And she _would_ know if there were. It was just a typical, wooden flute. Well, not _typical_. There were fascinatingly intricate designs carved lightly into the wood. As she followed the twirls and lines and abstract shapes, she noticed a pattern. All the lines, led to a single spot on the flute. As she traced the lines with her fingers and arrived at the designated spot, she felt a vibration that came from _within_ the instrument. It began to hum, and the usually non-existent wind picked up again. She looked closer at the instrument, desperately trying to find a secret when the carvings began to shift on their own.

 _So there were magical properties after all._

The designs continued to melt into abstracts, then into solid shapes, and back into a shifting stage. When the transformations finally took their last movements, all was still. And Rose found herself looking at what indeed, was a message. She was certain the message was from the man.

The lines had reformed themselves into cursive letters.

 _Sequere vestigia patrum nostrorum_.

Rose was unsure of whether she read the phrase properly. If she was right, this phrase was one written in the Ancient Ionian language. If she was right, this phrase meant— _follow the path of your predecessors_.

 _My predecessors?_

Rose, still running her hands over the flute noticed that there were words on the other side of the flute. She turned the instrument over in her hands and read them.

 _Præstaret tributa regi . . ._

 _Pay—no. W-wait what? Pay the King's Tribute?_

 _. . . effundet sanguinem eorum . . ._

 _Spill their blood._

 _. . . Sacrificium in vindicta_

Rose felt her face become hot as blood rushed to her face. Her vision began to blur, and black spots dotted her line of sight. She became dizzy, unable to concentrate, as if torn between the unconscious and reality. Her throat was strangely dry, and she could not bear to read the last phrase, but it was branded into her mind, regardless.

In fact, she didn't need to know the Ancient language to decipher what the last phrase meant. As the cursive letters began to emanate a crimson aura, they shone out at her like a beacon, beckoning her to understand. Beckoning her to accept.

She said them aloud.

"Sacrifice found in veangance."

Rose knew, the flute held the secret to her past. Perhaps it was simply a vehicle of communication, to hold the man's message for her, but as she found, it held _quite_ the message. Perhaps, she would find out why she couldn't seem to get along with most people around her. Why she was incapable of communicating with anyone, save Ekko and Kaleb. Why she called them _humans_ instead of _friends_.

 _Am I not one of them?_ She thought hard and then shut her eyes, shaking her head. _No—of course not. How can I be one of them when they are capable of such vileness and evil? I promised myself I would purge the world of this evil. I even swore upon the Blood Moon after I left him—_

She turned the flute about, looking at it from every possible angle, searching for any other secrets.

 _Perhaps—perhaps I will finally discover what Crow has been hiding from me all these years. Perhaps I will find out why I never saw that golden lady again. Regardless, I have taken a blood oath now, and you cannot stop me. Not anymore. Zachariah!_

 **. . .**

Kaleb had taken his own road down the past. He needed to close up a few open ends in his life. He walked up the long, stone staircase, up towards a giant dojo hidden in the Ionian Sky Mountains. Each step he took echoed, despite the evident fact that the rocks were not hollow, nor was he surrounded by any enclosure of sorts. _Magical properties._ Set by the High Ionian monks as a security measure. They would know if anyone wished to pay them visit. No matter how light of a touch your feet could move with, even if one refrained from touching the steps and instead, hovered over them, an echoing sound would be made, like a pebble dropped into a small pond.

Thus, echoing would not be an accurate description of the sound travelling about. _Rippling_ , would be more suitable. Sacred lotuses floated around the staircase, both the lotuses and the staircase suspended by seemingly nothingness.

 _This was the work of the Order._

The Order was quite powerful. Unknown to the common people, but infamous amongst whispered conversations. After all, it was not a surprise—the Order acted with the utmost discretion. Anyone threatening the secrecy surrounding the Order would be captured and executed.

When Kaleb reached the top of the staircase, he was greeted by two guards, dressed in pale, lavender garments and dark golden armor. Beyond them was— _a plane of butts?_ A floor of butts lay before him, stretching endlessly, in every direction possible.

"Halt!" said one of the guards, sternly. "State your business within these boundaries."

Kaleb smirked. "You know very well I could defeat both of you with my hands tied behind my back."

"Business," repeated the same guard.

"It's true though," shrugged Kaleb. The guard sighed in exasperation.

"Fine it's true. Now do it for protocol. _Kaleb, please,_ the Order requires for us to do so _._ "

The boy smiled cheerfully. "Of course, of course. My name is Kaleb, I'm here to speak to Old Man Rivello."

The guards' eyes widened. The other guard that had not spoken before, spoke now, urgently.

"Boy! Respect! We will all be executed for treason if you continue to proceed with this attitude."

Kaleb scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "Ahh, my apologies. I'm here to see the Grandmaster of the Order."

The guards nodded their heads gratefully. "Thank you, young master."

"My pleasure."

Clapping their hands together in sync, the guards spoke an incantation.

" _Nunc ianua aperta."_

 _The Doors will Open._

The air before them shimmered as two giant doors joint by an even larger stone arch materialized and opened in unison. Kaleb proceeded to walk into the front courtyard of the _Temple of the Order_. Exhaling at the beauty of the architectural ingenuity that built the place, which was comprised of several magnificently designed buildings on top of colossal waterfalls and cliff-sides that floated in the sky, he whistled in awe. The Order's temple would never cease to amaze him. The buildings were all structurally segregated from one another but wooden bridges provided the necessary connection to what was essentially four massive mountain-like rocks levitating amidst my butts of Ionia.

Kaleb had to walk through all three initial buildings before he could get to the Grand Temple of the Order, which, deductively, sat on the last and coincidentally, largest of four "sky-rocks". The first building—a simple and conservative, yet cleanly built structure—served as the novice training facility, where the younger or newer pupils of the Order would, of course, train and conduct their daily proceedings.

The second building was built to house the senior students, instructors, and junior masters. It boasted a more elaborate design; for instance, red-brick roofs instead of plain brown ones, and beautiful paintings decorating many walls instead of bare, empty wooden enclosures. Several doors around the second building, mostly the ones offering passage to the residential area, had thin, intricate layers of bamboo woven into them—in contrast to the bland, common-wood doors in the junior building—which allowed natural light to shine through and provide a pleasant warmth to their respective rooms. Because of its size, which was second only to the Grand Temple, it was also used as the Examination Facility.

The third building was outwardly dull, with flat grey walls, but its inconspicuous appearance effectively hid its inner secrets. Within was the Order's Operation Headquarters. Everything to do with an "operation" would be monitored in this building, an as a result, most missions were planned and given within this building as well.

Most.

The operations considered to be of top priority were given by the Grandmaster of the Order himself and executed by the _Executives._ Which led Kaleb to the fourth and final building — The Grand Temple. Though it was dubbed a "Temple", it had a palace-like build to it. Its front steps were made of some kind of smooth white stone, and when Kaleb made his way up, they _rippled_ , just like the first flight of steps he took before he arrived at the Order's headquarters. Inside the Temple were a labyrinth of corridors. Its floors, walls and ceilings were all reminiscent of the second building, but although it was the largest of the four buildings, barely anyone seemed to be in the Temple. The entire building seemed almost empty. However, the hundreds of times Kaleb had navigated the Temple gave him the experience to make his way to the Main Hall, which was where the Executives, Commanders, and of course, the Grandmaster congregated to discuss the Order's official proceedings. The Main Hall was located at the very top of the Temple.

Kaleb arrived before the final set of intricately designed double-doors with the Order's insignia branded on both of them. These doors would lead him to the Main Hall. Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing and inhaled deeply. He placed his shaking hands on the double doors, opened his eyes which now had a defiant glow to them, and pushed the doors open, slipping inside as quietly as he could.

 **. . .**

The Main Hall was a fairly large, rectangular room resembling a traditional Ionian sparring ground. The floors were made with a dark, brown wood and the general architecture of the entire room was that of an Ionian training dojo. Sunlight shone through the thin bamboo walls, the windows on each of the three walls (the fourth being occupied by the double-doors) carelessly thrown wide open, which allowed a gently breeze into the room.

The individuals within sat in a formation resembling the quadrilateral shape of the room. There were no chairs or tables; each individual sat cross-legged on a comfortable, peach-colored pillow, each pillow in the shape of a lotus. The Grandmaster sat apart from them, hidden in the shadows and watching silently from the far end of the room. He too sat on a lotus-shaped pillow, but this one, significantly larger and colored lavender.

One of the Ten Commanders, who looked to be in his twenties, was speaking sternly to an Executive who sat across from him.

"This failure is unacceptable! You were provided with an entire team of the most elite operatives and yet you still failed to uncover the identity of the Flute Maker? To make matters worse, you nearly revealed your own identity and jeopardized the secrecy of the Order's existence! I cannot—the _Order_ cannot overlook such a mistake."

The man bent over and bowed his head low. His face was that of utter shame.

"Commander Malekai, please, I beg of you, forgive my shameful performance! I will do anything to compensate for my failure. Just please, let me continue to serve the Order."

The Commander, Malekai, sneered. "That's _if_ _you can do anything_. As far as our observations have given us, all you have contributed to the Order is an absolute _disgrace_."

Another Commander, this time, a tall youthful lady with a caramel complexion, who also looked to be in her early twenties, spoke.

"Malakai's criticisms may be a bit overly harsh, but nevertheless, his words speak truth. Your actions could have revealed us to the world. You're quite lucky that Executive Irelia and her partner from the Kinkou Order happened to be close by. Most of our off-duty operatives wouldn't lose a wink of sleep to let you fall from grace."

She sighed and massaged her temples, subsequently reaching around to let her black hair down, which had been tied in a neat bun, held in place by a sharp pin with the blunt end in the shape of a miniature lotus. Those around her looked at her in alarm, but immediately cast their eyes down once more. This was because normally, for a female individual to let her hair down would be a sign of great disrespect in Ionian culture, let alone, a Commander of the Order. But this lady was not just any Commander. She was the first female in Ionian history to become a _Commander-in-Chief_ of the Order, and the youngest one at that. She held no qualms about breaking what she perceived as a petty tradition; to her, it was simply another outdated aspect of the Ionian society. She proceeded to speak again.

"Today, the Order will choose mercy over discipline, in this time of need. You shall be given another chance, Executive."

"Commander Karma, I thank the Order for its mercy!" The man said, his eyes tearing up. "I will return this debt, I swear it on my life."

He looked up gratefully, taking in the full picture of the merciful Commander. Karma was dressed in a traditional Female Noble Ionian garb, which resembled a formfitting pink dress that was cut at the shoulders. The dress had four high-cut leg slits that would have showed off her legs, had she not also been wearing a greyish-blue tights underneath.

Commander Malekai scowled at the Commander-in-Chief's decision but did not object.

From the shadows, the Grandmaster smiled. Despite how emotionless he trained his outer countenance to be, he could not help feeling proud of his daughter. Voted in by the Council of the Order as the _youngest_ Commander-in-Chief. A truly worthy heir to the Grandmaster-ship. She was wise beyond her years, having a near-genius intellect but retaining a devotion to humility. Essentially, a paragon of a future leader to the Order. She was also masterfully proficient in both physical combat and the mystic arts.

 _A leader must be able to protect him-or-herself, and those around who need it most._ This was one of Grandmaster Rivello's core principles.

"This meeting shall now be brought to closure. You are all dismissed." Karma announced.

The Grandmaster raised an eyebrow. _Perhaps an emphasis on 'future' in her development as my heir._ He cleared his throat and raised his hand. Every Commander and Executive, including Karma froze in place. Rivello sighed and shook his head, smiling slightly in light of the almost-comical moment.

"Have we all become blind to our surroundings?"

As both Commanders and Executives-alike looked at him, dumbfounded and thoroughly confused, he shook his head and chuckled.

"Let me be more specific. Have we all become blind to our guest, who has been waiting so patiently for us to finish discussing our matters of importance?"

When still, nobody had a clue as to whom the Grandmaster was referring to, he stood up in exasperation.

"Kaleb Reiyver. You may step forward and make us known to your inquiry."

To everyone's shock — save the Grandmaster — the air at the center of the room rippled and a figure materialized before them. Kaleb stood with a defiant glow to his eyes, his arms rigid by his side and his hands clenched into fists.

"Yo, Old-man Rivello. Sorry for the intrusion—I thought it would be better if I just waited in the shadows till the meeting was over."

Karma was on her feet in an instant, annoyance radiating off every part of her body. "You _dare_ address the Grandmaster that way—?!"

Rivello's smile had disappeared, but he gestured for Karma to stand down, who reluctantly assumed more passive aggressive stance.

"What is it you want, Kaleb?"

"I'm quitting."

" _You're quitting_? What is that supposed to mean?" The Grandmaster suddenly seemed on edge.

"I'm leaving the Order of the Lotus."

"Why?" Karma's voice suddenly sounded frail and afraid.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for you guys, letting me stay her and serve the Order. I've just got . . . I owe someone a favor and I promised I'd repay the favor by helping that someone fulfill a life-long dream."

Karma's face fell.

"Are you talking about that time when you saved that person—"

"I'm sorry, I can't say." Kaleb said grimly. "But I promise that I'll be back when it's all over."

The Grandmaster stroked his greying beard and Karma gripped a strip of her dress tightly but to Kaleb's surprise, neither Karma nor her father reacted violently to his announcement. Someone else did though.

Commander Malekai stood up, taking a step towards Kaleb. He whipped his right arm to one side, his hands curling inwards and taking a vicious form, as if imitating that of a claw. A dark-purple flame burst forth from his palm, forming a small but fiery ball of energy.

Kaleb looked straight into his eyes and saw nothing but murderous intent. Malekai whispered.

"It's treason, then."

* * *

 **Cliff-hanger! Hope the chapter was up to par today (and that the end wasn't too sloppy haha). It's been about a month since the last chapter so I decided to give the readers a bit of a treat: A LONGER CHAPTER! (*indistinct cheering in the distance*)**

 **Anyways, favorite, follow and review this fanfic if you want more! If you have any suggestions, feedback, or criticisms leave 'em below in the review section!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	4. Chapter 3: In One Fell Swoop

**ONE FELL SWOOP**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Hurrah! I hear the sound of bells ringing in celebration of another chapter! I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get another chapter out in such a comparatively short time, but regardless, here it is!**

 **I'm starting to make sense of where and how the plot should proceed but I already have a clear direction with a general destination in mind, so everything will start to piece together.**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: One Fell Swoop**

"I've waited so long for this moment." Commander Malekai's eyes gleamed with malice. "I've always despised you and your _arrogant_ attitude towards anything. As if you were stronger than anyone else here."

Malekai thrusted his hand towards Kaleb, his palm aimed at the boy. The small, fiery ball of energy he had charged from his purple flames flew towards the boy, looking to hit him square in the chest. At the last second, Kaleb also thrusted out his hand, but instead of counter-attacking, he seemingly grabbed the energy sphere out of mid-air, closing his hands around it. The sphere dissipated and fizzled out. However, Malekai simply laughed without humour.

"You think just because you can stop my attacks, you're strong? You're terribly mistaken. There are plenty of us here that possess power that you can only dream of."

The commander threw another purple energy sphere and this time, Kaleb ducked, allowing the attack to sail over his head. The sphere decimated the wall behind him.

"Malekai! Do not overstep your boundaries!" warned Karma.

Malekai sneered. "Boundaries? There _are no_ boundaries when it comes to traitors."

He threw yet another dark sphere, and Kaleb blocked this attack as to prevent any further collateral damage.

"When did I ever say I was going to betray the Order?" exclaimed Kaleb.

"Malekai you're going to destroy the building!" Karma said, more urgently.

"It's merely a building — we can rebuild it." The man replied rashly, trying to focus on hitting Kaleb with his attacks. "But we can't simply rebuild what Kaleb would destroy if he revealed the Order's secrets."

Kaleb slapped his forehead in exasperation. "Do you not listen to reason, _Commander?_ I think I've made it clear I'm simply leaving this place temporarily. I'm not going reveal anything."

"As if I'd believe you," scowled the older man.

"If I wanted to, I would've done so already."

"No, if you wanted to, you would taunt us over it before you committed the heinous crime," said Malekai stubbornly.

The other individuals in the room, unsure of how to approach this conflict, looked to the Grandmaster helplessly. The Grandmaster simply remained seated and gave each of them a look with a very clear message.

 _Do not interfere. Observe._

And they obeyed, for when it was the right time, the Grandmaster would know. They retreated behind Karma, who motioned them to back off even further. Meanwhile, Malekai continued his relentless assault on Kaleb as Karma attempted to prevent as much damage to their surroundings as possible. Everytime Malekai's energy sphere's missed their mark and headed towards the walls, Karma shouted an enchantment to keep the building intact.

" _Inspire!"_ a light green barrier absorbed the blasts of dark purple energy that flew awry. Noticing Karma's efforts, Kaleb began to dodge most of Malekai's attacks which was easier than absorbing them. This didn't make Karma the happiest individual because it meant she had to work harder to prevent the place from falling apart.

" _Shift."_ Kaleb thought and a split second later, he felt the air move around him, as if in a vacuum. He was suddenly a few metres from his previous position, all in an instant.

"Stop running around and face me, you coward." Malekai gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated that barely any of his attacks landed on their intended target.

Kaleb smirked and replied. "Typical words for a typical man under the delusion that he's strong."

The pattern was all the same to him. All of Malekai's attacks seem to slow down as they got closer to him and all he had to do was _shift_ around to avoid every blast. Kaleb had already analyzed Malekai's subconscious pattern of attack.

 _When is he going to realize that he has to change tactics,_ Kaleb thought to himself.

As if to answer his inquiry, Malekai immediately change his stance and threw both his hands up in the air. He grinned maliciously.

"If I can't hit your with individual bolts of my energy, I'll just have to increase the area of effect. You're not escaping this time, Kaleb.

" _Gate_."

Malekai spread his hands out dramatically and the atmosphere began to hum, as if charging for an attack.

 _This can't be good._ Kaleb and Karma, though not collaborating, share the same thought. Malekai closes his fists and at the same time, two orbs of bright purple energy materialize on either side of Kaleb.

" _Voco de Inane!"_ Malekai's lips curved into a deformed smile. " _Call of the Void_."

A rush of powerful energy exploded from the orbs, forming into vertical blades that followed one another in a perfectly straight line.

"Malekai, at this rate—!" Karma started to panic. _The energy is of incredible density, contained within the orbs and spheres that he emits. In very many ways, their release of energy is similar to a star collapsing and imploding into a supernova. This attack—this attack will very possibly injure of even kill the people in this room who fail to call upon their defensive abilities in time._

In this moment of crisis, Karma whipped her head around towards her father, expecting him to lend a helping hand. To her utter shock and frustration, he simply smiled and shrugged dumbly.

 _My father can be such an asshole._

 _I have no choice but to use it here._

" _Mantra!"_

 **. . .**

Ekko lay in his bed, tinkering with a new device in his hand. He always felt a connection to technology, fiddling with spare parts, saving up money to buy new, more expensive ones, and inventing _new_ creations.

He would miss this place. For certain. It was, after all, his first home. A small unit hidden in the darkest corners of Zaun. Sometimes though, the darkest corners were also the most untouched corners. _A safe haven, in a sense_ , Ekko thought. He sat up, from his bed, looking around his room, observing each and every tiny detail. Branding it into his memory.

 _It was going to be a while before I would return to this place._

Ekko was actually surprised. As he finished scanning his small bedroom, he noticed that it was the cleanest, most organized it had ever been since he first found it and claimed the unit for himself. Tools were no longer scattered all over the place, screws and wires and cables were cleanly tucked away in his drawers, his equipment was neatly packed in a bundle next to the bed. He sighed.

 _I just want to curl up and sleep in this comfy bed, waking up to a bright sunny morning, and stretching to a pleasant breeze that would enter through the window._

Ekko laughed to himself. Those days were long over. Zaun was no longer the prosperous city it once was, instead, submitting to the corruption and oppression of the corporate giants who manipulated the city's operation at a whim.

"I wish I lived in Piltover," he said aloud, then paused to think. _But then, who would protect the people here?_ _And it's not like Piltover is any better. It's Zaun with a prettier face._ The boy slammed a hand on the concrete wall to his right. _But at least they have a proper form of law enforcement._ _I've heard stories about the legendary duo, Caitlyn and Vi, and Jayce the prodigious inventor. There have even been whispers of a new vigilante who swept corruption with what citizens reported as 'hextech-blade-legs'._

He stood from the bed, walking out of his room and into his _workshop_. This was where he worked on most of his inventive projects. Glancing casually at the clock that had just struck noon, he did a double take.

" _Shit._ " Ekko swore quietly, as if someone would reprimand him for misuse language. "I'm supposed to meet him at 13:30, so that gives me—"

He glanced at his watch on one hand, and then at the Zero-Drive in hiso other hand.

"Gives me _just_ enough time." Ekko grinned.

 **. . .**

" _Gate. Voco de Inane."_ Malekai spread his hands out, channelling energy into the two orbs he had created on either side of Kaleb.

" _Mantra!"_ Karma chanted, and her eyes glowed bright turquoise. " _Serve to protect. Defiance!"_

At once, the bright green barriers she had previously used erected around everyone behind her, forming multiple shields. Simultaneously, the blades of purple energy from the Malekai's orbs began to close in on Kaleb from both sides — true to their name — as if a gate was closing on itself.

 _Kaleb. I have to help him too._

Instinctively, Karma focused on the only unprotected individual in the room. _Mantra_ dictated an important principle: that its user was to protect those who could not protect themselves. And as of the moment, it was impossible for Kaleb to dodge the attack within such a tight space.

 _And knowing Kaleb, he would never use THAT 'technique' to nullify Malekai's 'Gate'. It was too risky for those around. Deep down,_ _he is a kind hearted boy, sometimes selfish, as all boys his age are, but nevertheless, a boy too wise to smile, too strong to flinch, and too young to die._

Karma made her decision all in this split second.

" _Mantra!"_ she chanted again, her eyes glowing brighter with each breath. " _Fervent Binding!"_

Green tendrils of energy shot forth from her fingers, ensnaring Malekai in an instant. Two more tendrils shot from her palm, each wrapping around a 'Gate' orb and smothering them.

" _Focused Resolve!"_ With this command, Karma began rapidly draining energy from both Malekai and his orbs, the energy seen returning to her through the tendrils, their aura starting to shift from green to purple. Malekai cried out in agony.

"What are you _doing_ Karma—AAGH!"

Right before the purple blades found their target, they fizzled out and dissolved into thin air. Both Kaleb and Malekai stood, shocked. One shocked that he was still untouched, and the other, shocked—no— _furious_ that his attack had been nullified.

Malekai whipped around to face Karma, his countenance contorted with anger.

"You! Why?!"

"He's one of us!" Karma tried to explain calmly but she let too much passion slip into her voice.

"No he's not!" Malekai clenched his fists.

"Malekai—" Karma shook her head. "You are blinded by your anger and jealousy."

"Jealousy _?_ _Jealousy_?! HA! What have I got to be jealous of him for? He is a disgraced traitor."

"And you have anger-management issues," Kaleb whispered a little too loudly.

Malekai's eyes instantly turned to a dark violet shade.

"You _insolent_ _scum—_ "

"That's enough, _Commander,_ know your place," Karma ordered.

In a fit of rage, Malekai winded up his arm and thrusted it towards her. Without warning, a jagged purple spear flew in her direction before she had time to react. It was aimed, dead centre, at her heart. Her life flashed before her eyes.

Then the unthinkable happened.

One moment, Kaleb was behind Malekai, and the next moment, he was at her feet, with the purple spear piercing through his chest, collapsing with a dreadful _thud_. The boy made a gagging noise, coughing out blood. The thin, plain-grey, Ionian shirt he wore was already soaked, bleeding uncontrollably.

"NO!" Karma screamed. From her palm, came forth a violent energy she did not know existed within her.

" _Mantra! Soulflare!"_ she chanted without thinking. A beam of green light with lavender tendrils spiraling around it fired at Malakai, hitting him in the side, the force throwing him backwards at an incredible speed. He crashed through the wall—which was already weakened by the attacks—and dropped from the top floor all the way to front steps of the courtyard. Malekai lay still.

Back in the Main Hall, Karma fell on her knees, her hands pressing against Kaleb's chest. They glowed with a soft, warm aura, slowly dissolving the purple spear that stuck out from the boy's chest. Kaleb painfully lifted a hand and placed it on her arms, stopping her process.

"Karma, don't bother," he said weakly. "We both know very well that healing is not your forté."

"Then we'll call a proper healer," she replied determinedly. Looking up at the Executives and Commanders, she shook them from their fazed expressions. "Well, come on! You're not all high-ranked in the Order for nothing. Someone call a healer!"

Her hands, despite being surrounded by a layer of magic, were stained with Kaleb's blood.

"It all ends so quickly. I never—never thought it would be so qu—quick. Death, in _one fell swoop_." Kaleb tried to chuckle but he could only manage a subtle smirk before he squeezed his eyes shut from the overwhelming damage he had taken.

"Karma." A strong voice called for her attention at the back of the room. It was the Grandmaster—her father. "Think clearly, Commander-in-Chief, think clearly. You can't just call _any_ healer. For this predicament, you need a celestial healer.

"Soraka," Karma said under her breath, her father nodding in agreement.

"I will contact her for you. The rest of you—" He gestured to the remaining individuals who had not taken their leave from the Main Hall yet, "—will collect Malekai from where he has fallen and place him under binding magic of the highest grade. I sense there is something beyond his anger that drives him."

Kaleb's grip tightened on Karma's wrists, as if trying to convey a message. He could barely speak now, gasping with every breath.

"Th—there is a hi—a high chance…" he trailed off, trying to find words that would comply with his pain. "A very—high chance—that I will not su—survive this or—this ordeal."

"Kaleb, you're going to live," Karma said firmly.

"L—listen to me, Ka—ha—arma," the boy whispered urgently. "Please. Please, you—you have to tell her. Tell her I'm sor— …" He choked on his blood, which leaked out of his mouth now, pooling around his cheek. Tears streamed from his eyes, a desperate, lost look about him.

"Tell her I'm sorry," Kaleb managed to get out, his eyes starting to lose focus. He was trying his hardest to stay conscious.

"Who?" Karma asked, pushing him to respond, attempting to keep him awake. "Who?" she repeated, when he was silent.

"Rayven. I'm sorry—so sorry, we couldn't…our dreams…we…my promise…" Kaleb was muttering now.

"Please, Kaleb, I don't understand." Karma began to panic. She looked to the Grandmaster, who—strangely—remained seated from his spot, watching her intently. "Help me, father! Help me save him!"

"My dear daughter," he said, kindly, unlike his hard, lecturing tone in front of the Council. "Even with my great extent of knowledge and power, I do not possess one that gives me the ability to save a life that has already been lost. Soraka—she—our celestial friend may not be able to make it in time."

"Hey," Kaleb's grip on her wrist shifted to hold her hand gently. With his fingers laced around her's, his voice was surprisingly clear, as if his resolve had been restored. "Karma, you were an amazing Big Sis. I'm really glad."

"We were more than that," Karma said softly, a singly tear escaping her, trickling down her cheek.

Kaleb smiled in acknowledgement and managed to lift one arm up, touching Karma's cheek gently, like a ghost. He blinked the tears out of his eyes.

"I've never looked up at you like this before. If you just hold me in your arms like this, I think I can . . . I can . . . just fall asleep . . .

Then the life left his eyes and he died in her arms.

* * *

 **AND THAT'S THE END!**

 **...**

 **...**

 **Pshh I'm just joking (terrible joke, Nightrous .)** — **there's definitely going to be A LOT more chapters coming so I hope you look forward to them! The next chapter's going to have a huge reveal so don't wait! Just go read it! As usual, if you're liking the story so far, Follow! And if you LOVE it, then Favorite it!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	5. Chapter 4: Choose and Sacrifice

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 4**

 **Author's Note: As you readers can probably tell, I'm starting to pick up the pace. That said, you can partly thank the chaos of emotions happening in my life at the moment, which, as much as I'd hate to say, is currently one of the major driving forces of this chapter. Anyways, before I start, I'd like to give somewhat of a caution sign. Towards the end of the chapter, there's going to be a segment where younger readers may not understand completely due to its complex diction and language. It's meant to take somewhat of a victorian-era to Shakespearean impression to the audience. Please, I urge you, really try to understand that part as it is critical to understanding what the character is actually thinking and feeling.**

 **Aghh I'm sounding like an English teacher now ... Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. As usual, if you like this fanfic, show your support by clicking 'favorite' and 'follow' for this fanfic!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Choose and Sacrifice, Bleed and Breathe**

 _ **6 years ago, exactly 2 years before the even known as "Lunar Festival Massacre", in the Order of the Lotus's main hall. This room would look no different from the occurrence 5 years from this moment, save the gentle atmosphere about, in contrast to the tense future to come.**_

"Young one, would you be so kind to give us your name?" an middle-aged man dressed in plain white _kimono_ with a light-lavender _haori_ over-top, sitting behind a plain wooden desk, seemed to be giving some sort of interview to a young boy with messy black hair. The boy looked to be approximately 13 years of age and was dressed in plain Ionian _commoner_ clothes.

When the man could see the hesitance in the boy's willingness to reply, he laughed warmly and stood up from his chair. He walked over to the boy, who shrunk back ever so slightly. Bending down so he would not look down on the boy as if intimidatingly, he placed a hand on each of the boy's shoulders.

"There's no need to be shy. Tell me your name, young one." The man smiled. The boy began to look more relaxed.

 _He's changed so much compared to when he was like . . . this,_ I thought. Here I was, standing off to the side watching this scene play before me. I remember it so well yet—a memory is nothing compared to the actual occurrence. I looked at my hands, then my arms, then my entire body in one quick scan. My entire body, translucent. I scoffed at the thought of looking like a ghost. _I never imagined that being in a flashback—or whatever this vision is—would be so, I don't know, cliché._ I was referring to the Grandmaster. Despite being well over the age of 40, he still looked as if at typical father in his forties. And mark my words, any other man with his job would succumb to the physical and mental stress required of them, looking twenty years older than they actually were. Then again, this was why no other man was fit for the position _Grandmaster of the Order_.

And yet, in a matter of 6 years . . .

He looked as if he had aged thirty years in this short period of time. His demeanor changed too, from a warm, openly kind man, to a hardened, suspiciously, and most noticeably, tired man. _And it was all . . . because of me?_

The young boy's response brought me back to my senses.

"My name is Kassadin. Kassadin Lunacrux Reiyver."

The Grandmaster laughed heartily.

"Kassadin Lunacrux Reiyver! What a magnificent name for a young boy like you."

The boy blushed and looked down in embarrassment.

"Th—thank you, sir," the boy replied timidly.

"Alas, young Reiyver, you have quite the complex name. How 'bout we shorten it a bit? Let's see — how's 'Kaleb' to your liking?"

The boy brightened and nodded slightly.

 _Ahh, I remember this moment ever so clearly,_ I thought, closing my eyes briefly. _You know what, speaking of change, I too have changed quite drastically since then. Nevertheless, it's an unfair comparison. Whereas puberty changed me fundamentally, six years in the forties is nothing. As a young boy, I was quite . . . naïve. Not surprising though, considering the face that I had just been an orphaned street-boy before this miraculous day, where I was chosen by the Grandmaster himself to join not only the Order but his—_

"I take it you like it then. Alright, Kaleb." The Grandmaster placed a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair playfully. "Let me tell you a little secret. I have a long name too. Rivello Aurorus Proteagus. I'm the Grandmaster of this—you can call it a dojo if you want—this place. But most importantly of all, this is my home."

"Gra—Grandmaster?!" The boy gave a mixed expression of fear and admiration.

"Yes, Kaleb, but honestly, it's not much to worry about. I don't do much around here." The Grandmaster said quickly in an attempt to ensure the young boy was still comfortable with such a powerful title, _Grandmaster_ , sitting in the same room as him.

 _Hah, that's a lie. You don't do much eh? It would be an understatement to say you worked the hardest of all members of the Order._ _Well, perhaps, a lie for the good of the boy's confidence._ I commented silently, still standing off to the side. I don't know why I'm not standing any closer even though I know very well there was no way they could see me. Logically speaking, I didn't _exist_ in this recollection, for the very reason it is called a _recollection._ A memory. Right—?

I froze.

The Grandmaster had unmistakeably looked up, looked _straight at me_ , and nodded solemnly.

As if acknowledging my sacrifice. _Not possible. Unless—_

This was not a memory, but a vision of the past. And _logically speaking_ , if that were the case, I exist as an extra-dimensional being, which is something between actual existence and temporal non-existence. I guess that's the best way to describe a spiritual entity _visiting the past._

 _Was that what I am at the moment? A spiritual entity visiting the past?_

A new voice spoke up. A girl's voice.

She walked through the door to the stairs leading down the lower levels of the building and then to the main courtyard of the 'Grand Temple.'

"Hi there! I already know your name from listening through the door—"

"Young lady, rudely eavesdropping—!" the Grandmaster half-scolded.

"—my name is Karma Proteagus! You can just call me Karma. Pleased to meet you." She greeted him cheerfully.

The boy could not respond immediately for he was once again in awe of the presence before him.

I too smiled. _I don't think I ever had the courage to tell it to her face, but Karma was quite a stunningly beautiful young lady, even at the age of 13. She had a modest figure, but a smooth, charming face and long flowing black hair that split cleanly center of her forehead. No wonder my 13-year old self was speechless._

"H—hi, pleased to meet you too," the boy almost whispered.

"Oh come on, you're gonna have to be more open than that if we're going to get along well! Father tells me you're going to be my little brother from now on."

"Little brother? That means—you're my older sister?" the young boy looked questioningly over to the Grandmaster.

"Yeah!" the girl responded for her father. She tilted her head to one side and gave the boy the warmest, most loving smile he had ever received in the thirteen years of his life.

"Welcome to the family."

The boy seemed as if had never been happier in his life.

Suddenly, everything around me became distorted. The voices, the conversation between my younger-self and younger-Karma became distant. Their faces blurred, stretched and contracted. There was a _whooshing_ sound behind me and reality was swept in a jumbled mess. The environment around me dissolved into meaningless colours and circled me in a vortex of light.

 _No. Please, no._

"No!" I said aloud, knowing very well no one could hear me. _I want to stay in this moment, just for a while longer._ But fate demanded otherwise. The meaningless shapes and colours rearranged themselves to form another picture.

I was now in the main courtyard of the 'Grand Temple'. It was night-time and the moon shone brightly overhead. As I navigated the various paths, around the rocks decorating the sides of the pathways and the streams of water snaking about the courtyard, I instinctively walked towards the centre of the courtyard where an Ionian gazebo was built. It was raised approximately a metre off the ground so it wasn't until I got closer that I saw what was happening within the gazebo. Remembering the Grandmaster's unmistakeable acknowledgement of my ghostly presence, I stopped and looked for a spot where I could observe the gazebo from afar.

 _There_.

A rock large and tall enough suited for my purpose. Impatient as I was, I closed my eyes and _willed_ myself to become atop the rock. I felt a thrilling rush, a slight breeze against my cheek, and when I opened my eyes, I had arrived at my intended position. _So my powers still work to a certain extent within this . . . vision._

From where I was, I could see a boy and girl sitting next to one another on the bench that outlined the circular shape of the gazebo. They were sitting quite close to each other. I squinted my eyes to make out the faces of the two individuals.

 _Oh._

I recognized the girl's face.

 _Oh man._

I recognized the boy's face as well. How could I not?

 _I remember this moment. Not as vividly as I'd liked, but still. I would never forget this moment._

The boy seemed nervous.

 _I'm not even surprised. What's about to happen next is completely foreign to him._

The girl seemed to say something to the boy, then leaned closer to him and, in one swift motion, kissed the boy lightly on the lips.

 _Oh boy. Thinking back, this was an embarrassment. Shame on you, boy for not knowing what to do._

As if reading my thoughts, the boy's hands awkwardly grappled her sides, unsure of how to proceed, and as overwhelmed as both of them were, the girl lost her balance. The boy fell backwards, as did the girl, who hesitated momentarily before kissing him with more passion. She shifted her weight to straddle the boy's waist.

 _This is me. At age 16, experiencing my first kiss._ _But strangely, this is a vague memory, as if someone had tried to erase it but did so quite sloppily. I barely remember any details, despite my nigh-perfect memory._

I took a deep breath, I inhaled as much oxygen as I could. Slowly my vision grew sharper and my hearing was enhanced comparable to that of a cat. In exchange, I gradually lost all feeling on the surface of my skin, as well as my senses of smell and taste. This is one of the first and most foundational abilities I've learned and mastered. 'Sensory Exclusion' allows me to sacrifice certain senses to enhance the other senses. In this case, I could go to further extremes; in addition to sacrificing my senses of smell and taste, I also sacrificed my natural ability to intake oxygen.

 _With training in consideration, I guess I can hold my breath for at least 5 minutes, easily. That is, with the deep breath I took before._

I could now see and hear the events within the gazebo as if I were one of its occupants. As I observed, one thought consistently bothered me.

 _I don't remember this. Neither do I remember that._ I subconsciously brushed my fingers against my lips.

 _Why don't I remember the feeling of her lips on mine?_

The boy and girl had parted lips now, though the girl was still straddling his waist and the fingers from both their hands remained interlocked. The boy's black dress-shirt had become unbuttoned down to his sternum, while the girl's floral kimono stayed intact. The boy, clearly still blushing and grateful for the shadows in hiding his expression, spoke first.

"Karma, isn't this— isn't it wrong for us to do _this_?"

The girl looked away, taken aback by his question.

"But—" she hesitated again, trying to find the right words. "This is how I truly feel about you. I—I can't suppress this desire anymore."

"Karma, we're siblings," The boy said slowly. "You're my elder sister."

"Not by blood," the girl seemed desperate in her justification, despite the boy's kind honesty. "And I look older than I am. I'm only older than you by a few months."

"Your father—he would kill me if this happens."

"I don't care what father thinks. Kaleb, why are you talking as if it hasn't happened already? 'If' this happens? Are you saying you feel nothing for me?" the girl's eyes began tearing up.

"No I—I like you Karma. But I owe a duty to father for accepting me into this family. I can't take his kindness for granted."

Their fingers were no longer interlocked.

"So," the boy swallowed his own tears and clenched his fist. "Before this turns into romantic love, I have to stop it."

Tears were streaming from the girl's eyes.

"You—I—," the Karma wiped the tears from her eyes but it was futile. A gate of sorrow had unlocked within her. "It's too late. I already . . . I've already fallen in love with you, Kaleb!" She cried out.

"I'm sorry." The apology sounded heartless and empty, but the boy was simply at a loss. He sat up and wrapped his arms around the crying girl, who welcomed his embrace. "I'm sorry, Karma."

As the boy hugged her tightly, a singly tear rolled down his cheek. He raised on hand to his face and felt the wetness of his eyes, but didn't try to wipe the tear away. Instinctively, I placed my own hand on my cheek, finding that I too had a single tear slowly trail my right cheek, stopping at my chin and finally dripping onto the rock I stood on.

Then I sensed it. _Movement to my right. There was another individual in this scenario?_

 _There_. At the top of the stairs leading into the main entrance of the Grand Temple stood a boy that looked about 17 years old. He was rubbing his eyes—

 _Wait. No way. He's . . . He's crying too?_

As his hand dropped down to his side, I noticed something strange about his eyes. They were a dark shade of purple. And they were bleeding tears of jealous fury.

 _Shit. That's—_

The boy at the top of the stairs suddenly turned his head, focusing his eyes on me. Immediately, I felt my body jolt and shake uncontrollably.

 _Not him too. First the Grandmaster, then him?_

Without warning, an intense pain took to my eyes. I clutched my eyes and tried to scream, but in my panic, I had forgotten all about my _Sensory Exclusion_.

 _Such power. I can feel it. It is driven by hate._

As I finally lost all my vision, the environment around me, once again, started to dissolve into meaningless colours and circled me in a vortex of light. However, this time, in a matter of moments, all the light risen up had magically disappeared, leaving me in pitch blackness. I slowly felt my consciousness slipping, _if you could call it consciousness_ , and with that, I had one question that remained before I completely blacked out.

 _Did I ever love her?_

 **. . .**

 **(End of POV)**

A soft sound teased his consciousness. It was as if a distant wind chime and it spoke to him in musical tunes.

 _Wake up young one._

His eyes snapped open and immediately, he sat up and scanned his surroundings. He sat on a tiny, desolate island, only large enough to barely hold a small house. Three bodies of water lay around him, each of its own distinct color and shade, each separated from one another by a wall of obsidian reaching the bottom of the lakes and peeking slightly out of the water. The walls protruded slightly onto the island and were only wide enough for one person to walk across. He placed one hand on the wall closest to him in an attempt to push himself off the ground to stand, but as his fingers made contact with the obsidian a chill shot through his arm and sent a shiver throughout his body. He shrank back in surprise.

"What-the-shit?" Kaleb narrowed his eyes and looked closer.

The wall wasn't made of obsidian. It was made of ice. Black ice.

He looked up again.

Turning slowly in a circle, he noticed the peculiar natures of the three bodies of water. A Sea of Gold. A Sea of Lavender. And a Sea of—

"What _is_ that?"

The last body of water before him—he couldn't quite comprehend what it was. A dark, secretive mist hovered above its waters. It kept shifting in form; one moment, a tidal wave steadily rushed towards the island's shores, the next moment, it harbored a violent storm that could've sunk any vessel and drowned any individual, regardless of how competent it was with water. But this Sea of Black Nothingness was truly unsettling when it was at ease. Still. Quiet. Motionless.

Unpredictable.

 _Choose._

It prompted him.

 _Choose._

It played with his perception of reality.

 _CHOOSE._ It boomed. Kaleb stepped closer to the slick, opaque waters that took a shade as if the silver of mercury. He felt a subconscious urge to look at his reflection on the surface of the water and did so, but paled at the face that looked back at him. It was feminine. And familiar. Regretfully—painfully familiar. He closed his eyes and looked away. A single tear slowly rolled down his cheek but he wiped it away immediately.

No. _That was of the past. The past is behind me._

"Do not deceive me!" He shouted to no one in particular. "Show me what I am really here for."

He suddenly felt a sense of warmth behind him. Spinning around, he immediately used one arm to cover his eyes.

A sphere of brilliant light rose shyly from the Sea of Gold. It pulsated and shook gently beginning to take the form of a translucent, humanoid spirit. The figure slowly came to a stop as it finally took a coherent form. Opening its mouth, it sang a beautiful melody, but its words carried a message much less beautiful than its sound.

 _O vile heart of stone,  
Lacking fervor of life!  
Neverth'less with breath and blood  
Draining strength and virtue  
By envious and covetous devices_

 _Not a word of reassurance  
Nor a phrase of consolation  
Shall comfort these ears  
For they catch only daggers from thy speech._

 _I know not thy fickle art of deception  
Which may stand for the good of all  
But doth cause me treacherous pain_

 _Speak! Thy words doth poison  
The spirit of mine blackened fragility  
Hark! Won't thee?  
Thither art strange thoughts  
Populating the poor animal  
That is mine mind  
Lest I forget the feeling of pain  
For it remindeth me that I still  
Breathe and Bleed my humanity  
in this Cursed World_

 _Admonish mine ears, for I lack remembrance  
Say to thy friend, "Touch not thyself  
In the flesh forbidden"  
For such pleasuring ecstasies doth plague  
The excellent conscience and breaketh  
Mine bread, consuming it before the wine  
Has been spilt upon it,  
Wasting the sacred practice of mind, heart,  
And spirit. O Salvation!_

"Stop it." Kaleb said with clenched teeth.

The golden spirit continued singing.

"Stop it." He said more urgently so.

The golden spirit ignored him. Or rather, it could not hear him.

"STOP IT. Stop singing! I don't want to listen to your lamentations. They're not mine! They're not!" he could not stop his tears now, yet the spirit still had more to sing.

 _And in that moment of realization, the carriages of Hades  
Ride past the gates of ignorance, which doth make me blind  
But my salvation in this hellish guise, pointing to a hellish road  
Is nothing but a fickle art, that one must call deception's heart  
Irony rains on the fields of Asphodel, its evident insignificance,  
Harboring the hate of the dead, who desire recognition  
For death is a gift that steals from its master  
And laughs at the souls, buried and forgotten_

The spirit's song had finally ended, as the last few notes of the song seemingly echoed infinitely within Kaleb's mind. It opened its mouth again, causing Kaleb to flinch weakly. But instead of singing, it spoke.

"Kaleb, you must endure, for your song of sorrow has not ended."

"I don't want to hear—" Kaleb sniffed, then paused. "Who the hell are you anyways?"

The golden spirit's lips curved up visibly into a smile.

"My name is Anima."

* * *

 **Yeah uhh ... sorta depressing haha. In case you didn't read the 'Author's Note' above, I'm allowing the chapter to reflect my emotions, so please forgive any technical grammatical errors.**

 **Please leave your comments in the review section below.**

 **~Nightrous**


	6. Chapter 5: Armor of the Fifth Age

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 5**

 **Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Ahh the next chapter. To be honest, I had finished this chapter a while ago but wasn't really sure it flowed well so I was hesitant to upload it just yet. I felt, perhaps, there were further improvements to be made. Alas, it still isn't in top condition, but despite that, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Read on!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Armor of the Fifth Age**

Kaleb's eyes widened at the golden spirit's words. His hands began shaking as he pressed his right hand to his temple, his other hand, raised as if in defence towards the floating entity.

"My name is Anima," it repeated, "Anima is my name. I am here to guide you, to help you find your way, as I have helped many others."

The feminine spirit gestured to her left and a spectral image of a girl materialized.

"Including her."

Kaleb fell backward, grabbing at his own hair. He writhed on the island's greyish beach sand, visibly suffering from some traumatic memory.

"What did you do to her? What did you do to Rose?" Kaleb's voice strained with desperation when the spirit didn't answer. "What did you do?!"

"This was a matter of many years ago. I simply saved her. Gave her a chance to continue living. Protected her." It said in a slow and careful manner.

"How. How did you protect her?"

"It does not matter. Now let us not get side-tracked, my dear. I am here to do the same for you as I did for so many others."

"Answer me, HOW?!" Kaleb

"Alright, alright, if it will satisfy you, I will tell you. I am simply concerned with the limited time we have."

Kaleb stopped writhing, and sat up. He nodded impatiently.

"Go on. Tell me."

"I sent a guardian."

"What was his name?"

"Must a guardian be of male gender?"

"His name," Kaleb pressed.

The spirit made a sound that sounded like a sigh.

"Zachariah."

Kaleb clenched his fists.

"Zachariah Proteagus?"

The spirit's expression seemed to change. As her smile turned into a frown, the warmth in the air faltered ever so slightly.

"Yes, but how did you kn—"

"He was known as The Crow. Born with the incurable fatal illness _Darcus Plagueis_ , but miraculously, was cured of it within the first year of his life. He disappeared three years ago which I suspect is the cause of the Grandmaster of the Order's exponential aging. A consequence of psychological stress, for the Crow was in fact, his eldest son. It all makes sense now." Kaleb continued to rub his temples with both his hands.

"It was impossible for the illness to be cured by technological or magical means. No entity from the likes of Runeterra holds such power. Thus, it would be reasonable—" Kaleb's voice betrayed hints of anger, "—reasonable to assume that the Grandmaster pleaded with an otherworldly force to save his son. The exchange was made, new life was given to his son, but of course, nothing comes without a price, for that is the essence of an 'exchange'. I'm guessing that in return, Zachariah's life belonged to his saviour, and when the time came and the saviour needed a favour, Zachariah was obligated to answer the call. You were that saviour."

"Very good. Very good Kaleb, my dear. And now I am here to save you."

The spirit reached out with her hands, gentle as ever, her voice still singing notes of harmony, but Kaleb backed away. He flicked his wrist and his hands suddenly glowed with an intense, red aura.

"Not so fast, Anima."

"My dear, we do not have much time left. We must restore you before your soul scatters beyond repair."

"Don't call me 'my dear', Anima. Or rather—" At this, Kaleb took a firm, defensive stance, with his two glowing hands ready to act in an instant.

"—should I call you, Amina? That is your name, isn't it?" Kaleb could no longer hide the contempt in his tone. At this moment, the golden spirit's expression erased all traces of kindness and warmth and twisted into a scowl.

"What?" the spirit hissed. Kaleb ignored her.

"You're known as _She who Gives and Takes Away._ You're the Golden Watcher."

At this mention, the temperature in the atmosphere instantly plunged, dropping below freezing point.

"Not many know that name. How did you deduce my identity—better yet, how do you know _all of this_?"

"You should know why I know all this, for you pulled me from death. I am the Grandmaster's youngest son, after all."

"Not by blood."

"But by kindness, which is worth just as much."

"Well, it's my turn to ask questions and your turn to answer, young one."

"I don't answer to interrogations conducted by a _Watcher_."

"I am the only one who can save you right now. And besides, don't you have—promises to keep?" The spirit's grin was nothing short of cold. "Of course, after finding out you know this much about me, I must make amendments to this _Contract._ "

Kaleb bit his lip to fight the urge to just cry. _How have I become so weak as to let my emotions overrule me?_

"Name your conditions." The boy growled at the spirit.

"Oh fear not, there are only two. The first of which is: you are prohibited from fighting for Rosalyn. And second, you are prohibited from revealing your true identity to anyone, especially your two _friends._ If you violate the first, I will simply swoop in to take back what I have given. If you violate the second condition though—I will not only take back what I have given but I will also punish you." The spirit leered at Kaleb. "Before the eyes of your _loved one_ , I will _**violate**_ you."

Kaleb tried to retort but choked on his words. There was nothing he could do. He inhaled deeply and with stupendous effort, cleared his thoughts.

"You still have not told me what you will be _giving_ me, Watcher. And who will I be fighting for if not for Rosa—Rayven? It sounds as if you still intend to keep me fighting in the League."

"Ah, child, now you're thinking straight. I have something in store for you." The Watcher began to move her slender spectral arms in opposite directions, drawing two circles in the air. Golden light trailed her finger tips, giving shape to the directional motions of her arms. Once the two golden circles were fully formed, the Watcher stopped moving her arms and the light and motion of the circles immediately became self-sufficient.

"What I am about to give you is an 'Armor of the Fifth Age'. Created by the Guardian of Valoran. It was a pity that I, Guardian of Souls had to ask, of all entities, the Guardian of Valoran for assistance, but nonetheless, it is necessary and contributory towards the _final goal._

"And what might that be?" Kaleb interjected.

"None of your concern." The reply he received was curt, but he decided to press further.

"This Guardian of Valoran. His name is Taric isn't it? Taric, the _Human_ Watcher. In short, the only one of you Watchers who actually give a damn about us _mortals_."

Amina waved her hand in dismissal. "Yes, yes, what a _kind, caring_ Watcher, and exactly what I _despise_ about him. Bringing his dignity down to that of a _mortal_ standard. Truly despicable. But that is not the point as of this moment. He created a set of armor that will help stabilize and contain the pieces of your soul during combat. Regrettably, you will only be wearing the armor during combat as it would be hilarious to see the hideous thing overtop your body day and night, but unfortunately, it has a natural limiter that prevents the wearer from using it for extended periods of time. However, you will be wearing something else to keep your soul together on a daily basis. Though, perhaps _wearing_ may not be the best way to describe it. _Hosting_ it, is a more accurate representation of its operation."

Kaleb suddenly felt fear again but his curiosity got the better of him.

"What is it that I'll be _hosting_?"

"Oh—mmm—something truly beautiful. You know, of course, that Taric was once known as the Gem Knight before he was called to Mount Targon and transformed into a Watcher by the celestial force who calls himself the Protector. He still retains his human skills to this day, and from years of fighting the creatures of the Void atop the peak of Targon, he managed to harvest a particularly unique mineral. The mineral came from the strange bodies of those Voidlings themselves, and when he refined it, he created the first ever _Voidstone._ This is what will anchor your soul to the plane of the living. I will embed the voidstone into your heart, and you will host its power. Mark my words, it will amplify your abilities as they are now, but don't become over-confident."

"What makes you think I will be overcome by something as insignificant as hubris?" Kaleb gave Amina a challenging glare.

"What I mean is, if you ever even develop the notion of defeating me, I will tear you to shreds and feed Rosalyn your remains."

Kaleb's anger flared once more.

"That's quite a savage, violent threat for your self-proclaimed _elegance_ , Golden Watcher."

She grinned evilly. "You don't need to be so formal, young child, addressing me by title. Just call me Amina."

" _Amina._ " Kaleb spat forcefully. "And who will I be fighting for if not for Rayven?"

The Watcher's grin grew even wider.

"Oh he's a very interesting fellow. His name's Zachariah."

Kaleb's legs grew weak as he sunk to the ground, not believing the cruelty that had just befallen him. _Why did it have to be him? The Crow._

. . .

 _A swirling darkness. A pit of nothingness. And a little bit of light. An abyss of confusion and blind emotion. Confliction and conviction. The light seems to grow. Odd, vague shapes start to form. The light gives life to its surroundings and colours begin to come to life. Slowly, images piece themselves together like a puzzle and a fuzzy scene materializes._

" _Are you sure about this?_ "

" _Y-yes."_

" _This power . . . it will force you to give things up. It requires sacrifice."_

" _That's alright. I'm ready to sacrifice anything for the power to vanquish my sworn enemies. I will do whatever I can to make them pay for what they did."_

" _Sacrifice . . . you know, it's not that simple."_

" _Hey, Mr.—eh—Mr. Whatever . . . I was given the impression that you would be a lot colder and straight-forward. I was told that all I had to do was prove myself worthy of power and make it this far. I was not informed that I also had to endure a lecture on life's philosophy."_

" _It's my job to inform the individuals seeking such power of the entire picture, risks and all. To be specific, it's not just any sacrifice. This specific power that you've drawn from the Pool of Dreams — it requires the individual to sacrifice all of those he/she cares about. In other words, you're going to lose everyone you love."_

" _Hmph, and that's why I told you, I'm quite lucky to have drawn such a good deal. I don't have anyone I care about. Everyone I love is already dead. And I certainly won't care or love anyone in the future. Those humans. They're all scum of the earth."_

" _Now, now, young girl, you realize what you're saying? Your sole purpose right now, that is, your will to live is driven by your desire for revenge. What happens when you finally achieve your goal? Who or what will you live for, then?"_

 _Silence takes over the entirety of the cave._

" _I suppose I don't have a reason to live then, huh?"_

" _I can't accept that as an answer young girl."_

" _Hmmm . . . I guess I would spend the rest of my life eradicating similar evils. It seems the only path to take."_

" _By yourself? It is quite the dark and lonely path to take, especially for such a young girl like you."_

" _I'm used to being alone. In fact, I prefer it."_

 _The old man levitating above the Pool of Dreams sighed._

" _Somewhere along the way, girl, you will find someone, or some people you care about. And you'll regret it because you know you'll eventually lose them. That is the condition for this power."_

" _Don't you worry, old man. My heart is as cold as the Ice Witch herself. Perhaps even colder. Nothing will touch this heart of mine. No one will be able to make it warm._

" _In the end I can do nothing to stop you. You've made it here, after all. So be it."_

 _The images begin to dissemble and dissolve until darkness returns. And the maiden awakens._

Rosalyn rubbed her eyes, yawning loudly. She curled up in her bed, closing her eyes and smiling. _It's soo comffyyyy. I don't wanna get up._

She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling of her small bedroom, resting her right arm on her forehead.

"That dream again." She sighed. "People I care about huh—it's not like anyone like that exists."

 _What about Ekko or Kaleb?_ The thought struck her unexpectedly.

"They're just acquaintances, individuals who happen to share the same goals as I do. Nothing more, nothing less." She said aloud.

 _Nothing more, nothing less._

"Rose, don't think about it too much. The more you think, the more confusing it will become." She scolded herself.

As her bed was adjacent to the wall, Rosalyn glanced at the slither of light peering through her closed curtains. It was beginning to get brighter outside. Which meant morning had come — and the day that she, Kaleb and Ekko begin their journey had arrived. When she dropped her arm to her side, she found that she was in fact, shivering. She couldn't, however, discern whether it was more excitement or nervousness. Perhaps a mixture of both. Taking a deep breath, she hauled herself up and sat at the edge of her bed. She threw on a thin grey shirt that was two sizes too big over her undergarments and tip-toed towards the kitchen without bothering to put anything on below her waist. The shirt went down to her thighs anyways so it was fine.

 _I'll find a skirt or something else to wear after I cook myself breakfast._

Opening the cupboards above the stove, she reached for a pan. That's when she felt it. The incredible, jarring pain within her head.

"AAGH!" she cried out, dropping the pan which clattered to the floor with a loud _pang_. Pressing two fingers each to each of her temples, she shut her eyes tightly and clenched her teeth. The pain was immense. Unbearable. As if the nerves were slowly being ripped out of their foundations.

 _Rose._

Her vision grew blurred and she lost focus of her surroundings.

 _Rose. Rosalyn._

Her other senses began to dull as she dropped to her knees.

 _Rose! Can you hear me?_

She crouched into a fetal position and squirmed, crying in agony. She struggled to breathe.

 _Rayven!_

The name shocked her to her senses and she momentarily regained control. The pain subsided briefly.

"Rayven! Open the door!" a familiar voice called from her front door, followed by an urgent banging.

"E-Ekko?"

"Rayven it's me! You have to open the door!"

Rosalyn crawled slowly to the door, attempting to stay conscious. When it was finally in sight, she closed her eyes and submitted herself to the darkness around her. She focused on a mental image of the door.

" _Unlock."_ She whispered.

There was a satisfying click, the sound of metal grating.

" _Open."_ She whispered again.

The door budged slightly but it stayed shut. _Oh for goodness sake. Are you serious right now?_

" _Open. Please."_ She said _please_ in a distinctly irritated tone, despite the pain she was still experiencing.

The door gave way and swung open. A boy with messy grey hair stumbled in.

"Rose! Thank god!"

"Ekko. Help me get up." The pain had suddenly dissipated and only her legs felt weak. A strong arm wrapped her waist and she in turn, threw her arm around Ekko's neck for support.

"Lift your legs, dude." He said without batting an eye.

"I'm not a _dude_." Rosalyn grumbled but complied. She was too weak to walk after all. Ekko carried her all the way back to her bedroom and lowered her gently onto her bed. He plopped himself onto the couch opposite the bed, watching Rosalyn intently. Finally he spoke.

"What happened?"

Rosalyn looked at him, bemused. "I should be the one asking you that question. What happened?"

Ekko looked down and a grave expression took over his face.

"I'm not sure how to say this—"

"What's wrong?" For some reason, a cold feeling had washed over the girl.

"He's—K—Ka—"

"Ekko tell me, what's wrong?"

"He's dead."

"Who's dead?" Rosalyn asked but deep down, she already knew the answer to her own question.

"He was killed yesterday. In his home town, in Ionia."

"No. No, this can't be—"

Ekko was fighting back tears. His fists were clenched. "Kaleb."

The boy choked, struggling to get another word out.

"I mean, what are the fucking chances?! Just before we can start our first step towards our dream—" Ekko slammed his fists onto his thighs. "Kaleb was killed yesterday. I saw his body. They say it had something to do with a threatening Ionian elders. What fucking bullshit. What utter, fucking bullshit."

Rosalyn whispered something softly that Ekko couldn't hear. The boy continued to lament.

"After all we went through. After all we worked for. After all the money that we finally had earned enough to pay for entry into the official League. Our dream . . . our dream is—"

"Ekko." Rosalyn spoke the boy's name once, calmly, but the calmness had a deathly tone to it. It was cold, without emotion. Something about the tone scared a boy who usually feared very little things.

"If he died such a pathetic death, then perhaps he was truly not strong enough. Perhaps we have overestimated his abilities."

"Rose—? What are you saying? Kaleb was the strongest telekinetic we have ever encountered—how could you call him weak?" Ekko's tone was starting to turn to that of disbelief.

"You heard what I said. Kaleb was not strong enough. We will have to do this ourselves."

"But—" Ekko looked away, as if Rose had slapped him. "We shared a dream. We promised each other."

For the first time in their conversation, Rosalyn looked up. The expression Ekko saw in her eyes was not human. It was a ruthless, swirl of darkness, its indigo irises betraying an intimidating glance. Her face was a reflection of her tone, truly devoid of any emotion.

 _You will lose those you care about._

The thought, no matter how much she tried, was embedded into her mind. She argued against herself.

 _There IS no one I care about. That is not a lie. That is not a lie. That is not a—_

"I don't know what you're thinking Rosa—no—Rayven. But what do we do now?" Ekko's question brought her back from her thoughts. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination but for a moment, Ekko thought he saw the girl in bed clench her fists.

Nevertheless, she replied swiftly. "That's simple. We proceed to the League."

* * *

 **Now, now, I know Rosalyn's character may be a bit fickle, but, without spoiling anything, her personality is meant to reflect a state of conflict, something like ... ehh ... ying and yang! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll try to explain things without spoiling the future plot. Please provide me feedback through the REVIEW section below!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	7. Chapter 6: Brotherhood and Lies

**ONE FELL SWOOP - Chapter 6**

 **Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Now I know that a lot of this fanfic seems like it's based upon long, drawn-out conversations between a group of individuals, and despite the genre of "Action" I classify it under, there isn't a lot of "Action"...yet. I'm still doing a lot of development between the characters, so I apologize if the pacing is a bit off. Please, feel free to provide me with feedback in the Review section below if something about the plot or story or characters bothers you.**

 **Anyways ... read the damn chapter already XD.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Brotherhood and Lies**

The Armor was every bit as hideous as Amina had described. With ominous metal spikes growing from all over, including out of his shoulder plates, arm guards, and waist guard, Kaleb looked like a monster. The rest of the armor consisted of some sort of tight body-suit. It stuck to his skin as if it were _part of_ his actual skin, and when he moved around, it felt as if it morphed with his motions.

"Adaptive Organic Metal Fabric. It's like an extreme version of woven chainmail. Each individual fiber is so thin and so tightly knit together that it feels as if an actual type of fabric. The suit adapts to your body's movements down to almost an instantaneous response. It reacts to the smallest kinetic energy that your body gives off, immediately imitating the outer structure of your epidermis, which gives it its "adaptive" nature. Think of it as an impregnable extra layer of skin. Except for the fact that it's not completely impenetrable." The Golden Watcher informed him.

"And would you care to explain to me why you — or Taric — decided not to just make the entire suit using this one material? What's all this fancy, unnecessarily bulky décor?" Kaleb tried to sound as critical as possible.

"Oh the spikes and guards? They're not simply for show, _boy_. The guards help channel your void-energy properly. Think of them as control stations, or checkpoints for the energy to pass through whenever you move. They prevent unnecessary outputs or exertions of the energy so it doesn't escape the vicinity of your body. Through experimentation, Taric determined that the highest points of energy leakage took place at your waist, shoulders, and forearms. The spikes — well, perhaps you could argue that they are for show. They do add character to your stance." Amina chuckled to herself. "Besides, they do provide additional offensive support, assuming you decide to do something as stupid as tackle your enemy. To be honest however, I cannot think of a situation where physical contact is necessary, especially when one possess abilities such as yours."

"What a hassle," Kaleb muttered.

"Oh I'm sorry, did you say something?" the Golden Watcher tilted her head to one side.

"Nothing. I meant to ask you why the hell this over-bearing helmet is necessary."

"Oh this?" the spirit plucked the ugly, brutal helmet out of the air, which was previously suspended within one of the golden circles she had drawn. "This is your lifeline. Normally, when out of combat, you would only have to wear your AOMF body suit and the bottom half of this helmet, which is enough to regulate your typical energy-output. The bottom half acts as a breathing-mask. The two metal tubes on each side filter the air you breathe in from the void-energy lingering on the surface of your skin that would usually contaminate the oxygen and upon inhalation, swiftly kill you. But in combat, an overwhelming amount of void-energy will also pass through your head and consequently, your eyes, effectively rendering you blind. The top half, visor-part of the helmet reduces the void-light perceived by your eyes and allows you to discern images as you regularly would, except perhaps a shade darker than usual."

"Then would you care to explain to me why I'm currently breathing _perfectly_ fine without the mask?"

Amina shook her head with disappointment. "Your progressive stupidity never ceases to amaze me. You can breathe without the mask right now because you're not even in the realm of Runeterra yet. This place is what you humans would probably call an alternate dimension."

"What if I—" Kaleb began but the feminine spirit was becoming impatient.

"Just close that foul oral orifice of yours and put the mask on. You won't be tied to this plane for any longer than one or two more minutes. Unless you truly wish for death."

"Uhh, hey Golden bitch. How do I put it on if you're holding on to it?" Kaleb was practically bleeding with spite.

The Golden Watcher glared at Kaleb.

"Perhaps I chose the wrong person to _save_ and should simply incinerate your spiritual remains right here so you have no hope of returning to the physical world."

"Just give me the damn helmet."

 **. . .**

 **POV - START**

Everything around me was a blur. As if a vague memory within a dream, which blotted out a significant portion of my surroundings. It was extremely difficult to focus on one subject. My eyes flicked from side to side until they landed on a man sitting behind a desk before him.

"N—name?" The man enquired nervously.

A tall figure wearing a tight midnight-blue body-suit loomed over the registration official. The official, who had a small name tag labelled 'RIOT EMPLOYEE – REGISTRATION CONSULTANT' clipped to his dress-shirt, grew pale. The figure cast a dark aura about him, and every breath he took through the oxygen-mask-looking device that he wore, an ominous sound that somewhat resembled a vacuum of sorts seemed to suck the life out of the atmosphere around him.

"Kassadin."

"K-a-s-s-a-d-i-n. O-okay, I've got it down. And yo—your title?"

"Title?" the figure's voice boomed, causing the man to flinch. The man recovered.

"Eh, how do I put this? It describes who you are. Uhh—what people will refer to you as."

As the overbearing figure exhaled and pondered, the man felt goosebumps all over his body. His heart was pounding. I could hear it, each beat getting faster than the previous one.

"You can call me the Black Phantom."

"Okay. Uhh—" The man's fingers nervously tapped at the surface of his desk as he tried to remember what he was forgetting. An important part of registration. "Ah! Yes. My apologies."

The figure tilted his head in question and the man hurriedly continued.

"Um, your name—er—title is subject to change, depending on how the impression you give the League as you fight."

"Understood." The figure's reply was curt.

"Is there anything else you need?" the man asked, blinking rapidly, as if his eyes were drying up.

"Yes. One more _request_. I would like to request a censor."

"Excuse me?" the man seemed panicked.

"Yes. I require a censor over my name."

Shifting in his chair, the man bit his lip. He was quiet for a full minute. When he finally spoke, it was in a whisper.

"Sir might I ask— how exactly, did you know of this _option_? Only those of rank MASTER or CHALLENGER are informed of this option. They are forbidden to distribute such information. The system also tells me you are unregistered."

"Does it matter?" the figure sighed, or _seemed_ to sigh, if you could call the soft _purr_ of exhaling machinery sighing. He leaned closer to the man, whispering back. "I have my informants. And I know the League is more than _just_ an organization for fighting pits."

The man was flustered. "V—very well. What are you conditions of lifting the censor aside from manual removal?"

The figure seemed to chuckle in his own, unique, robotic way. "The censor will be lifted only on two conditions. If I manage to rank first on all leaderboards and maintain that position for a year — OR, if someone manages to defeat me."

"B-but — ahh, I should mention that because of these . . . erm . . . unique circumstances, I will have to notify the Council of Head-mages, who will review and examine your status before we can approve this censor."

"Suit yourself."

I don't know how, but suddenly, I felt as if I _knew_ that the looming figure was smiling behind his mask. And not a very pleasant smile. But at the same time . . .

I instinctively touched my own lips and felt myself smile. In unison we smiled. And not a very pleasant smile. I felt a wave of fear suffocating my very being as suddenly, my body, _no_ my existence in its entirety was thrown towards the looming figure. A silent scream echoed behind me as I somehow collided with the looming figure and all of a sudden, I _was_ the looming figure. I shook my head clear of its nauseating pain and as I opened my eyes, they were miraculously cured of any mystical visual obstructions. Though with a shade slightly darker than usual.

I stumbled back, experiencing an intense vertigo. To my surprise, nobody else seemed to notice. It was as if I wasn't even there. Then, I felt only a subtly, almost completely inconspicuous tugging sensation before I truly disappeared entirely.

 **POV - END**

 **. . .**

As Kaleb came to his senses, he found himself staring up at a plain gray ceiling. The first aspect of his surroundings to strike a bell within him was the _smell._ It was a warm, pleasantly dusty smell that resembled a light vanilla aroma. It was — homely.

 _Where . . .?_

His vision blurred in and out of focus and when he tried to move his limbs, they were nearly unresponsive, only somewhat twitching. He was lying on a small bed with a soft white mattress, obviously built to suit the slumbering needs of only one individual. A thin blanket was pulled up to his chest and fit snuggly under his arms. For some peculiar reason, the blanket seemed to be emanating a strange, yet comfortable, cool aura, as if to ward of the rather heated autumn weather. The right side of the bed was adjacent to the wall, which was painted with a light teal hue.

 _Where . . .? The last thing I remember . . . was watching a figure wearing my suit registering at the League headquarters . . . then I became the figure itself? When did this happen?_

Kaleb looked to his right, where a large window revealed a clear blue sky with light trails of butts among the vibrant sea of azure. His chest suddenly flared in pain and he winced, groaning softly. He gently, almost hesitantly touched the spot in which the pain had occurred with his fingertips. Immediately the memories of the series of unfortunate events rushed back to him. He adjusted his arm to support his body weight as he shifted to sit up but his arm immediately buckled as his vision swam and his head, plagued by an intense, pulsating migraine.

When his vision cleared, he looked out the window. A familiar endless plain of tall grass welcomed his sight.

"Where—" He vocalized his thought.

"I see you've finally regained consciousness. Seems like the voidstone embedded in your chest is starting to work."

Kaleb turned his head to see a young man that couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than him, dressed in black from head to toe, sitting on a stool propped up against the wall opposite of the bed. The man greeted him with a warm, handsome smiling face. Kaleb's eyes traced the man's outline aimlessly until they fell upon the man's hands. They held a white porcelain mask.

The boy immediately curled up into a protective like stance — as self-protective as one could be whilst sitting on a bed.

"Crow Prince." He said, keeping his tone as bland as he could without betraying the unstable emotions that boiled underneath his calm demeanor.

"Now, now, you know you can call me by my real name, Kaleb. Or should I call you Kassadin?" the young man chuckled.

"It's been a _very_ long time. And I think it will take even longer before I call you _anything_."

The young man sat in silence. There was nothing he could say to such a declaration of passive aggressive hostility. After a full minute of awkward silence, Kaleb spoke again.

"I thought you were supposed to be watching over Rayven and protecting her."

"Rayven?" The young man's eyes lit up. "Ahh, yes of course, she must have changed her name to Rayven when she registered to become an official Mage under the League."

"Aren't you supposed to be Rayven's _guardian_?" Kaleb rephrased his question to avoid repetition.

"Hmm, the Golden Watcher must've told you of my past situation didn't she. Well, you see, that mission was brought to an end when _you_ happened."

"What are you talking about, Crow Prince?"

"Well, I can't possibly both watch over her _AND_ act as your Mage, can I? Even that _—_ golden lady — even she understands the feasibility of the situation, despite her heartless way of going about things. Amina gave me two choices and I chose you over Rose—ah, I mean—Rayven. Besides, Rayven's been . . . outgrowing me. I can't hide things from her forever so I guess I'll just have to run. You can probably say this is my way of running."

"Crow Prince . . ." Kaleb trailed off.

"Stop it, Kaleb. To be honest with you, it hurts me when you call me that. It really does—" the young man pressed his hand against where his heart was. "—hurt."

Kaleb avoided the man's gaze, looking out the window at the endless plains instead.

"Did you forget that we were brothers, Kaleb? Did the three years we spent together along with Karma, mean nothing to you?"

Kaleb said nothing.

"Kaleb, please, at least look at me as a . . . as an . . . acquaintance. We're going to be working together for at least the next year."

"You left us." The reply was short and sharp.

"I had no choice—" the young man began but Kaleb interrupted him.

"Old man, Rivello. You don't know how much he suffered, how much he aged when you left!"

"Even our old man knew that that was the best option we had." The man's voice was rising.

"You left without so much as a notice!" Kaleb retorted.

"It was that or I would have to DIE!" the young man shouted at the boy. As if suddenly hit with the realization that he had yelled at his younger brother, he looked down shamefully.

"I'm sure you know how things work with Amina, Kaleb." He said softly, though the pain was evident in his tone. "You can call me a selfish man. But I don't—I don't want to die."

"Hmph." Kaleb exhaled, attempting to contain his anger.

He sluggishly propped himself up against the side of the bed and pushed with his legs in a feeble effort to stand, but to no avail. His legs quickly grew numb each time and he slid back down in a slump. Sighing, he looked around the room searching for an object that could serve as a makeshift crutch. As his eyes hunted for a suitable object, his mind wandered elsewhere, momentarily forgetting the anger. Somewhere in the back of his head, he found the room hauntingly familiar. _Had he been here before?_ If he could explore what appeared to be a house in which he was located in one of its rooms, he could possibly make out his approximate whereabouts.

"What are you doing, Kaleb?" the question was meant as a challenge to force Kaleb to stay in bed, but it had no force behind it.

After a few frustrating minutes of crawling about, Kaleb found an umbrella sitting underneath the bed. He painstakingly hobbled towards the door and in one final, desperate effort, turned the knob of the door and pulled. The young man simply watched him from his stool.

For a moment, Kaleb vision blurred as the last of his energy flushed out. When it cleared, he stared into a relatively long hallway with stairs on the right leading down to the main floor. Kaleb did a double take.

It was his own house. Yet—it wasn't. Something was different about his surroundings, something . . . _wrong_. The paintings that lined the wall of the hallway were absent and instead of a bare wooden floor, a long carpet winded its way from one end of the hallway to the other.

 _What happened?!_ _Is this some sort of vision?_ It couldn't be a vision though. The pain in his chest, in his arms, the cool air about the house, and the warmth of the sunshine that shone through the window in the bedroom and seeped into the pores of his skin—everything was too real. Especially the argument he just had with Zachariah . . .

"Ah, you're awake. I knew I heard two different voices upstairs."

Kaleb whipped around and in the process of doing so, his legs numbed at the perfect moment and he tripped yet again, ending up lying on the ground, clutching his poor arse and groaning more in irritation more than pain. He did locate the source of the voice though—standing before him was none other than an ageless man dressed in a thin white kimono. The man held a small plate that held a fancy cup filled with steaming liquid.

"Care for some tea?'

Kaleb sighed exasperatedly and resigned to lying on the floor.

"Master Zilean. Please don't scare me like that."

Zilean smiled innocently, as an old man would smile upon his grandchildren.

"This place is called a _Diachronika replica_. A form of suspended animation applicable to any object or building. If users of this technique are powerful enough they can even cover entire areas, possibly even whole cities." The man explained. "This is one of the only safe havens that can keep you hidden, although only temporarily, from the eyes of your Watcher.

Kaleb scratched his head in a vain effort to grasp the concept.

"Are you doing this?" the boy asked.

"Yes—and no. You can say I once _did_ this, in the past, but once I've _done_ it, and as long as I'm alive, this timeless replica exists indefinitely. It will be one of my last teachings to you."

"A timeless replica . . ." Kaleb repeated dumbly.

"Yes, a timeless replica," confirmed the man patiently.

"Hold on—what are you—how did you get—wait, why are you here?" Kaleb sported his classic confused expression.

"Well I was already _here_ ," said Zilean, "Zachariah simply brought you to me. One of my final requests before I surrender both of my previous students to that awful, albeit all-too-powerful golden lady. I plan to finish our training together."

Kaleb turned his head to see Zachariah leaning against the doorframe to his bedroom. The young man was still looking down, avoiding Kaleb's gaze as the boy had avoided his. He turned back to face his mentor.

"This last teaching, how long is it going to take?" he inquired with a neutral edge to his voice.

"Well—" Zilean scratched his chin, "You've already progressed halfway through this teaching without you realizing it. A regular person wouldn't be able to recognize the distinct features of the _Diachronika replica._ When they enter this realm, their memory and cognitive capacity are scrambled by our spells to prevent the _Distortion Effect,_ which cripples the individual's ability to differentiate between reality and fantasy. A powerful, observant individual could perhaps achieve a delayed realization; their subconscious would reach an epiphany when inaccuracies are pointed out by their superior mental capacity."

"But I―" Kaleb stuttered.

"No, you actually did the exact opposite. Your brain immediately registered your surroundings as foreign and only later did your subconscious mind recognize the similarities to its realistic counterpart. Your mind is hardwired to prioritize and recognize the imperfections of these re-creations. That way, you can instantly determine between the actual form and its emulation."

Zilean let out a long sigh.

"Master?" Kaleb asked with concern.

"Ahh, worry not my young pupil. Ironic as it is, I'm somewhat disappointed to see you learn so quickly. For it means you and Zachariah will return to Amina's callings sooner than I anticipated. Some moments, Kaleb, you must learn to cherish, for not even a chronomage can preserve such moments."

"What do you mean?"

"It means I won't be able to see either of you for a very long time."

"You can help me. Help me escape from Amina—we can—we can all work together to fight against her!" Kaleb hesitated, then looked at Zachariah, who's expression remained as gloomy as ever.

"Kaleb," Zilean said kindly, "Even if I tried to help you, it would be impossible. Don't you remember? She is the one that _gives and takes away._ What she gave you and Zachariah — your lives — she also has the power to take them away."

"Then what other way is there?" Kaleb exclaimed.

"We must be patient." Zachariah finally spoke.

"What?" Kaleb said in disbelief. "Patient? How can I be patient when I've left my two best friends behind?"

"Kaleb, think harder. Do you remember the events that took place before we got here?"

"We were—"

Kaleb was for a moment, at a loss for words.

"You experienced a vision of sorts didn't you?" said Zachariah.

"Yeah, so what?" Kaleb said in a challenging tone.

"That wasn't a vision. It actually happened. The reason why you thought it was a vision was because Amina used _golden hypnosis_ and put you in a trance. She literally _controlled you_ telepathically and forced you to register yourself as a censored champion in the League. That's the difference in power between her and us right now." Zachariah turned away and walked back into Kaleb's room. He sounded frustrated.

"Look, Kaleb. You're strong. And you were right in saying we have to work together. But we have to be patient. Bide our time under Amina's control and grow stronger. There's no other way."

"Hmph." The younger boy made a disapproving expression but gave in. "Fine. I just have one question."

"Oh ho, I have a bad feeling about the question," Zilean commented from the side, smiling innocently.

"Why isn't Rose affected by Amina's power?"

Zachariah froze and gave Kaleb a dumbfounded, clueless face, which annoyed Kaleb even further.

"What, you don't know?" said Kaleb, irritated. "Didn't you spend three years protecting her as her guardian or whatnot?"

"Well, I'm not sure how, but I think she broken her conditions. It was one of the reasons I chose you over her. Because I simply _couldn't_ choose to protect her any longer."

"Do you want to explain what the hell that actually means?" Kaleb rolled his eyes.

"Well I don't know for sure, but I don't think Rayven actually knew she was under Amina's control. Probably due to the fact that Amina didn't _need_ to control her at the time. The Golden Watcher was most likely reserving Rayven for a time of greater need, but before she could make use of that asset, Rayven unknowingly broke free of Amina's control."

"But how did she do it?" pressed Kaleb.

"Like I said," Zachariah dragged his hands through his hair, "I don't know for sure. A year ago, she disappeared from our safe house and left me a vague letter saying she could take care of herself and that she'd grow stronger on her own by _finding her own power_."

"That's—" Kaleb paused and stared straight up at the ceiling. "That's around the time I first met her. She was dragging Ekko around the Ionian Capital when she bumped into me and straight up asked me to join her dream."

"What did she look like?" Zachariah asked abruptly.

Kaleb gave the older man a strange look. "What do you mean, what did she look like? I mean, she was—" he froze and blushed.

"What? She was what?"

"W—why are you asking such weird questions?" the red hints on the younger boy's cheeks began to grow more evident.

"Why are you getting embarrassed all of a sudden?" Zachariah sounded genuinely confused. "Just describe how she looked."

"P—pretty, I guess?" Kaleb grew flustered with each passing second.

Zachariah slapped his forehead conveying a countenance that said _oh my goodness, kill me now._

"Well of course, but did she look any different from—" the young man reached into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a small photo. "—this?"

The photo was of Rose, with hair down to the upper part of her neck, giving a shy smile to the camera. Kaleb tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Definitely. Like, it's not a major difference, it's just that she's grown out her hair—it's all the way down to her shoulders now—and she's significantly paler. In the photo, she looks . . . warmer."

"That confirms my suspicions. Something, or maybe someone, changed her between the time that she met you and Ekko and the day that she left my side." Zachariah shifted uncomfortably. "Did she show you any of her abilities?"

Kaleb thought to himself for a moment. "Now that I think back, I've never actually seen her do anything special in person. I mean, she's capable of entering into _sync_ with me when we fight in the League, and apparently, she really proficient at establishing a stable connection but even I don't know how mages do their fancy spells. I just listen to her voice in my head when I fight."

"You've fought in the League?!" Zachariah was more disapproving than shocked.

Zilean laughed out loud and placed a hand on Kaleb's shoulder. "My young friend, this boy has already broken Jax's record of straight consecutive wins. He hasn't lost a single match with Rayven yet. Alas, he may have not lost a match but we are losing time, the more we continue on this conversation. You'll have to save your questions for later Zachariah."

Zachariah nodded reluctantly and mumbled something about 'duties to the Order'.

"Excellent!" Zilean gestured for the two young men to follow him. "Shall we get started?"

 **. . .**

The rain was heavier than the forecast had predicted. Then again, the rain was the least of Ekko's worries. Even as the skies were darkened by storm butts and the rain fell endlessly onto the rough stone road, the only thought on Ekko's mind as he and Rosalyn trudged towards the gates of the League's HQ was that of Kaleb.

Kaleb, who he considered a close friend, along with Rosalyn, was like a giant piece of their puzzle as a team, and his abrupt death had brought not only grief into the boy's heart but also anger. He could feel the rage within him, itching to spring forth and hurt those who had hurt his companion. He could feel each drop of rain pounding on the hood of his coat, and with each drop, he felt increasingly unhinged.

 _Why?_ He questioned no one in particular. _Why must the world take everything from those who work the hardest to gain just a little something?_

Thunder struck, startling Ekko, who tumbled forward, colliding into Rosalyn.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized instinctively. He flinched on the inside, expecting a sharp complaint from the girl but what he got instead was even more heart-breaking. Rose simply adjusted her balance and walked on without looking back.

"Ekko, just watch where you're going." The chillingly empty, effortless remark felt like a spear of ice that had pierced him through the heart. Worst of all, it reminded him of the conversation he had with his female friend in the morning.

" _Why are you acting like this, Rose?"_ He had questioned her.

" _What do you mean? I'm not sure I understand Ekko. We should hurry up or we'll be caught in the rain storm before we make it to the League's Headquarters."_ Rosalyn had replied as if Ekko had asked a silly, pointless question.

" _Don't talk bullshit with me. I mean, why are you acting as if nothing had happened since the news Kaleb's death arrived yesterday?"_

" _Kaleb. That boy has nothing to do with us any longer. He was too weak and thus, failed to keep his promise. If you ask me, it's him that was full of bull feces, spouting all that nonsense about being strong enough to carry the burden of our goals. He couldn't share the burden, much less, carry it on his own. He failed, Ekko, and that's that. He would've been a nuisance in the future so in fact, it's good riddance."_

" _Are you hearing yourself, Rose? Are you hearing your—ugh. I don't even know what to say. You're unbelievable. And I don't even use that word—unbelievable. Rose, what has gotten into you?"_

" _How about you stop being such a child and move on? If you are so insistent on feeling that our team isn't complete, we'll go find another individual to fill Kaleb's place. I'm sure there are many more out there willing to dedicate themselves to our cause. Okay? Does that satisfy you? We'll even go look for a third member right after we finish our promotional matches."_

Ekko remembered the expression he had given Rosalyn at that moment, very clearly. It was of utter speechlessness, incredulity, his jaw dropped wide at how apathetic Rose was. That was when he ran out of Rose's house, onto her unsheltered porch, discovering that the rain was already pouring, and finding that his tears flowed so freely down his dark cheeks that he couldn't tell the difference between the rain and the rivers of his anguish.

Ekko looked up. Rosalyn had stopped before a giant black metal gate that towered over them, easily fifty meters into the air. They had arrived.

 _I guess it's time for our first match._ Ekko sighed to himself. He was doing a lot of sighing lately. He felt his spirits brighten up slightly when he suddenly remembered something his mother had told him when he was younger.

" _Ekko, my beautiful boy. Every time you sigh, you give up a part of your soul. Eventually you'll grow to be a soulless person! And mama doesn't want her beautiful boy to grow into a heartless man."_ She had reminded him this every night before he went to bed.

Unfortunately, the slight flicker of positivity disappeared within the next few moments as he noticed a tall woman in a light purple kimono with an insignia of a lotus sewn right above where her right breast was, walking towards them from within the enclosure. He had a bad feeling about this.

As she approached them, she called out to Rosalyn.

"Young lady over there. Excuse me. Are you Rayven?"

Rosalyn simply nodded as the woman signaled a guard to the side, who opened the gate from a hidden panel on the wall. As Ekko got a closer look at the woman's face, he realized it was in fact, not a _woman_ but a _young lady._ The young lady couldn't have been older than twenty years of age.

He wasn't sure whether the young lady pretended to ignore him or was actually oblivious to his presence, but in all regards, chose not to spare him even a single glance, much less speak to him.

"My name is Karma. I've been waiting for you. To be honest, it took quite a while to find you due the fact that we were unaware Kaleb _had_ any friends outside of the Order. But I'm glad my hard work paid off." The young lady had plastered an oddly fake smile on herself, as if she was trying too hard to look satisfied.

"We're not his friends." Rosalyn replied swiftly. "Simply former acquaintances."

"Well whatever you are to him, he sounded like he cared quite a lot for you."

 _Is it just me or does she sound kind of bitter in that last bit_? Ekko gazed intently at Karma, trying to size her up. _Perhaps it's simply the rain throwing me off_.

 _Wait a minute. Sounded?_

"Hold on, you were there when Kaleb—?!" Ekko blurted out before thinking.

"No, no, of course, that's not what I meant." Karma replied a bit too quickly to hide her panic. "I mean—I was, but—it wasn't my fau—"

 _Oh now she speaks to me, huh,_ Ekko fumed.

"You're not being consistent, were you or were you not there?" He practically shouted over the rain.

Karma looked down with an ashamed look dawning upon her face.

"I was there."

Ekko's eyes widened and he immediately glanced at Rosalyn to see if her expression had changed but to his extreme disappointment, she showed no signs of human emotion. As cold as ever.

"I mean," Karma corrected herself yet again, "At least, I was there to hear the last few words he had to say."

"And what did h—what did he say?" the boy trembled with anticipation.

"I think he wanted to apologize to Rayven, and probably to you too. He mumbled something about a promise or a dream or something along the lines of such. I'm sorry, he wasn't really making any sense at that point but he was insistent on me passing on the message and I'm not one for breaking promises."

Ekko buried his face in his hands. He understood what Kaleb's last words meant. They were so simple that it was ridiculous to think anyone would misunderstand them.

"Ekko."

Rose said his name once, sternly. He looked up from his hands that were already cupping a pool of tears and rainwater.

"I trust that you are strong enough to keep the promise that Kaleb was incapable of keeping. Prove that I am right about you and stop showing signs of weakness."

Ekko wanted to glare at Rosalyn and shout something rude at her but couldn't bring himself to do so. After all, part of him knew that she was indeed correct.

"I'm sorry, can you both please listen up, because I wasn't finished." Karma interjected impatiently. "That's not the primary reason I took the stupidly difficult task of finding you two."

 _What the fuck now?_ Ekko was fed up with the darkness that was suffocating him.

"Kaleb's body was stolen before the Order of the Lotus could preserve it for his funeral ceremony."

This time, Ekko actually voiced his thoughts.

"What the FUCK?" He bit his lip so hard that it began to bleed.

"Witnesses report that a hooded black figure was seen flying away with his wrapped body during the late hours of the night. It was a perfect retrieval. I mean, we had extremely tight guard shifts placed on a 24-hour basis—"

"Why would a—" Ekko swallowed hard before he continued. "— _dead_ _body_ need guarding?"

Karma seemed to hesitate again before answering, throwing Ekko's sense of suspicion into further disarray.

"Due to our ongoing investigation on the peculiar circumstances of Kaleb's death, we placed a tight rotational system of guard shifts to prevent any tampering of the on-scene evidence. But as if the perpetrator were familiar with the ins-and-outs of the Order's operational methods, the heist was virtually flawless. We didn't realize until it was too late."

Ekko suddenly noticed that Rosalyn had frozen in place.

"Because you were _acquainted_ with Kaleb, we had reason to suspect either of you for committing this—" Karma then also noticed Rosalyn's stiff pose. "—hey, are you listening? Rayven?"

It was obvious that she wasn't listening. She stopped listening after Karma mentioned the _flying hooded black figure._ And she had become completely oblivious to her surroundings. The sensation of dreadful rain seemed to dissipate into thin air and the words from Karma, muffled and finally silenced. She was, what she would call, trapped in her own mind.

She knew from the moment Karma mentioned him, the perpetrator's identity. With her eyes fixated on the distance, her expression betrayed a flare of poorly repressed fury.

 _Crow Prince,_ she thought spitefully. _Damn you to hell, Zachariah. Were all those kind words about your everlasting support for my goals regardless of the situation—were they all LIES?_

 _Did you lie to me, Zaki?_

 _Did you?_

* * *

 **These chapters just keep getting longer and longer! I just get so caught up in drafting the conversation that I find myself unable to stop writing sometimes. Hopefully, you made it to the end and if you're not asleep, hurray!**

 **I'll be balancing my time between work, this story's next chapter, AND my other, more childish writing pursuits (i.e. Reunions), and depending on my mood, I'll spend more time either on this fanfic or the other.**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	8. Chapter 7: Valoria City

**ONE FELL SWOOP - Chapter 7**

 **Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Somehow, I was on a writing spree, and I managed to write enough content for another chapter! We're starting to get into the minds of more characters now, so hopefully, this'll blossom into something that both reader and writer will enjoy. I've only proof-read this once but I was super-stoked to publish another chapter so there may be small errors here and there. Hope you don't mind :)**

 **Without further ado, let's dive right into the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Valoria City**

 _Crow Prince. Damn you. Damn you, damn you, damn you! I swear my Blood Oath with overcome your persistence._

"Rayven!" Karma grabbed Rosalyn by her shoulders, shaking the girl and bringing her back. "Please listen. I don't have much time left here. I have already gone against my father's orders in coming out here."

"O-okay." Rosalyn still sounded troubled.

"I also have news about your promotional matches. Yesterday, the Order intercepted a transmission concerning a champion that was just registered into the system. But for some reason, the champion didn't have a designated name. All we could decipher were scrambled coding, but we managed to retrieve the champion's title."

"Why are you helping us?" Rosalyn was reverting back to her suspicious-self. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

Karma closed her eyes and breathed out. "You're right, you have no reason to trust me. You also don't have to trust me when I tell you that I knew Kaleb since he was a child."

"And you're tell us this now?" Ekko exclaimed.

"It was a detail that I thought would disrupt and deviate from the message I was to give to you. If I told you outright from the start that I was a . . . a childhood friend, you would've gotten suspicious immediately. I first gave you the message so that the main focus of the conversation was established. It's a lot easier to establish credibility if I don't sound like an advertisement for some long-lost friend or something."

"Fair enough," agreed Rosalyn.

"I care for Kaleb as friend, which is why I helping you out. I don't care what _you_ think of him, but he was a good person. Perhaps a little more compassion would suit you better."

Ekko was mentally begging for Rosalyn to apologize or take her cold words back, but she said nothing.

"Regardless, let's not deviate any further from the focus. This new champion's title. His title is the Black Phantom. And he's been placed in your bracket. If both you two and the Black Phantom and his mage win your first matches, you're up against him in the second match."

 **. . .**

"Well this track and report mission is just getting better and better. Remind me why we decided to camp out in the rain?" Katarina complained to her partner, who was sitting cross-legged beside her.

"Because we're tracking, Kata, it's what we do. This spot was the best I could find for covert observation." Talon gestured to the rooftops around them.

"The rain is making the tiles quite slippery. What if we fall off?" Katarina pulled at Talon's sleeves, trying to get his attention. Talon's eyes remained glued to his binoculars.

"You're twenty years old, Kata, can you please act like one? You're losing all sense of professionality." Talon berated her.

"What's so professional about tracking and reporting?" Katarina shot back. "We're assassins, not spies."

Talon sighed and put his binoculars down. "Kata, you want to know something?"

"W-what?" Katarina suddenly felt self-conscious and fidgeted with her jump-suit's collar. Talon was looking at her with his rare, serious gaze. He was usually much more nonchalant.

"Sometimes we just gotta take a break from all the killing. I feel like I smell my victims' blood more than my own sweat these days." His gaze was cutting through all her mental shields effortlessly, as if a knife through butter. She couldn't return it.

"I-I didn't take you for a coward." The girl tried to play off her nervousness with a verbal taunt, but it was in vain.

"Yeah, call me a coward. Just so you know, I'm intent on retaining my humanity."

"A killer with a conscience? What an ironic joke." The shaking in her voice was very subtle but nevertheless, existent. She remained unable to return Talon's piercing gaze.

"Whatever. Do your job, Kata." Talon returned to his binoculars.

"What's there to do?" Katarina started fidgeting with her hair, trying to straighten out the knotted ends. "Our target isn't even here. I mean, we'd make better use of our time if we figured out where the hell our target is. What's the point of tracking if Kaleb isn't here?"

"Look for him, Kata, use your observation skills. He might be smarter than we think he is, hiding in the shadows."

"Even if he were here, there's no reason he would be hiding. He wouldn't even know he was being watched," scoffed Katarina.

"Shh." Talon raised a finger, silencing her. "Let's get closer. They seem to be raising their voices."

Katarina followed suit as Talon wind back and then, with a running start, leaped to the opposite rooftops. They creeped closer to the gates of the League Headquarters until they reached the last house, which was the closest they could get to the group of three individuals who were now engaged in an intense conversation.

"—body was stolen before the Order of the Lotus could preserve it for his funeral ceremony," said the lady wearing a kimono.

 _Body stolen? Funeral Ceremony? What…?_ Talon tapped Katarina then pointed at his ears, signaling her to listen into the conversation too.

"What the FUCK?" the dark-skinned boy exclaimed.

 _What the fuck, indeed._ Talon was just as confused.

The tall lady's mouth began to move again but no sound came out. Or rather, Talon couldn't hear what she was saying. She had lowered her voice to a whisper.

The boy replied in a more conspicuous tone of voice. "Why would a dead body need guarding?"

"Due to our ongoing investigation on the peculiar circumstances of Kaleb's death . . ."

At that moment, Talon froze and stopped listening to the conversation completely. He turned slowly to look at his partner, who had the exact same look on her face. Eyes wide with surprise. Face tight with panic.

 _Kaleb's death . . ._

Their track and report mission was all for nothing. Worse yet, any evidence they could've gathered from the body including clues as to what Kaleb's abilities were, they lost to the thief who stole the body. The mission was a failure. It was a long time since they'd failed a mission.

 _Master Swain is going to . . ._

If it was any other mission they'd failed, Swain would've easily forgave them. They were, after all, his most reliable assets. But they both knew this was most possibly one of Swain's most important plans.

" _You are not permitted to return unless you have succeeded in completing your mission,"_ Darius had informed them. " _The rules are as usual."_

 _The rules are as usual—my ass._ Talon pinched the bridge of his nose in thought. _'You are not permitted to return unless you have succeeded…'_

That meant if they failed the mission, there would be nothing to report. It would Swain's turn to track _them_ and hunt them down. And then kill them. It was Swain's twisted perception of obedience. _Obedience_ , to the Master, was not as simple as listening to orders. It was successfully following through with his plans. The worst part was that there had been nothing to thwart the plan. The usual reason for a failure, Demacian intervention, was not at play. Katarina and Talon had simply failed to the natural causes of coincidence. Unfortunately, in Swain's eyes, _coincidence_ did not exist.

There _was_ one more thing left to do though . . .

"Kata. We have to find this individual. The one who stole the body." Talon said quickly. His partner simply nodded her head.

"Kata. Kata listen. Did you happen to catch what she said after _Kaleb's death?_ "

Katarina nodded her head again but gave him a questioning look.

"Sorry Kata," he apologized, "I kinda lost it after the lady mentioned our target's death."

"Mmm. Well she said something about _flying black hooded figure_. That was all I caught."

"Thank goodness." Talon sighed with relief. "At least we have a lead."

The man stood up adjusted the blades at his belt. "For now, we're going to continue tracking the boy and his female friend over there until we have gathered more clues. We have to find out what happened before news of his death gets into Master Swain's hands. Fortunately, it seems that his death was covered up quite well by the Order of the Lotus. Let's use that to our advantage."

Katarina stood up and stretched her legs and nodded, yawning as she did so.

"Kata you have to treat this situation seriously," Talon placed a hand on his own forehead, "From now on, we have to watch our backs too. We're basically fugitives now."

"Okay, okay." Katarina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, smiling calmly.

"I'm serious now."

 **. . .**

As they walked through the streets of Valoria City, Katarina itched to play with her blades. She was bored. Unfortunately, to Talon's insistence, they had to don their cumbersome cloaks to conceal their identities and of course, there was barely enough space underneath the cloak to move her blades, much less, twirl them.

She pulled at his sleeve.

"Talon," she instinctively pushed her bottom lip forward, "How much farther is the inn?"

Talon looked up at the sky and sighed in exasperation. He turned to Katarina and was about to reply when he saw the expression on her face.

Raising his eyebrows, he chuckled, "Kata. It might just be my imagination but are you _pouting_ at me?"

Katarina pressed her palms to her cheeks and inhaled quickly.

"N-no? Why are you making s-such false accusations?" her voice quivered.

 _Oh no . . ._ she mentally gave herself a slap on the back of her head. _Please tell me I did not actually . . ._

"Oh yes you did. You can't hide that expression from me, Kata." Talon smirked. "Though now that I think about it, you haven't made that face since your 16th birthday. I still remember you, pouting, all the while complaining about how Master Swain banned birthday celebrations in Noxus."

"You remember the most unnecessary things—"

"And how happy you were when I threw you that surprise party with our Crimson Elite squadron."

"W-what—?! Why are you bringing up such embarrassing—?" Katarina gaped at Talon.

"Embarrassing?" Talon tilted his head to one side. "I thought it was rather . . . one of our happier memories."

"How did we . . . how did we even get on this topic?" In her state of emotional confusion, Katarina almost slammed into a food stall on the side of the street. Talon wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her back towards the center of the street as if it were any other gesture. He continued the conversation as if nothing had happened while Katarina blushed profusely.

"Well, we were talking about your pouting expression, right?"

"Yeah, so? Why are you bringing it up?" Katarina pulled on her hood to hide the blood that was rushing to her cheeks.

Talon's smirk grew wider. "Kata. You just admitted to pouting even though thirty seconds ago, you were insistently denying it."

"W-wha—?" Katarina was speechless. Unable to reply, she instead, slapped him as hard as she could on his back.

"H-hey! What's your problem Kata?" Talon tried saying it seriously, but in the end, failed to contain his laughter and snickered out loud.

"You're just—honestly! So unnecessary." Katarina gave him a disapproving ' _hmph_ ' then stormed on ahead of him.

"At the end of the day though, that expression . . . it's one of your cuter ones." Talon added after a moment of silence between them.

"Mmmph!" Katarina made a choking sound and then proceeded to miss a step, stumbling to regain her balance.

"W-what I mean is—!" Talon desperately searched his brain for an excuse for his uncharacteristic comment. "It . . . it's one of the things which make you human. Just like when I say I need a break from all the killing. Right?"

 _I hope I haven't actually made her angry._ Talon didn't know whether to chuckle to himself or feel nervous. _Though, what kind of girl gets angry at compliments?_

"Hmph. Fair enough. I'll let you off the hook this time." Katarina strutted ahead, seemingly humming to herself.

The man sighed. _I don't know what it is, but the atmosphere seems more . . . relaxed than usual. Well, I have to admit it does feel better than the tense atmosphere we always have in Noxus._

 _Maybe Kata's right. Maybe I am growing soft._

 _But is that . . . is that really such a terrible thing?_

 _I guess it's a new and unfamiliar feeling._

 _But it feels good._

"Hey, smart ass." Katarina pointed at a not-too-shabby-looking building. "Is that our inn?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Yeah, that's it." Talon smiled. _No use in thinking such thoughts now. First things first, the mission._

"Hey uhh—" Katarina hesitated and pinched her cheek, as if she was stuck between making a decision. "Why . . . why did you do that thing when we first left for our mission?"

Talon looked at her blankly. "What thing?"-

"Y-you know. When you—" Katarina gulped and mustered all her courage. "When you k-k-k-k-ki—"

"K-k-k-k—excuse me, what?" her partner was utterly confused.

"When you kissed me!" Katarina yelled without meaning to, then covered her mouth.

 _So much for putting a block on thinking such thoughts,_ Talon face-palmed. _I've got to defuse this bomb quickly, before it gets out of hand._

"Ohh that, haha. It was just a joke." Talon chuckled as naturally as he could. "You're still brooding over that?"

"J-just a joke." Katarina repeated softly. "Huh. I see."

"What's up? If something's bothering you, you can just tell me."

"No, it's nothing. Nothing at all."

She closed her eyes, looking ever so slightly disappointed.

 **. . .**

"Hey, hey, check it out."

"Those two?"

"Yeah they're the new ones."

"How do you know it's not simply their first ranked match of the season?"

"I looked them up on the public registry. They're completely new."

"We'll crush them as soon as they leave the fountain."

"I bet they're scared shitless."

"Would you four quiet down?" The fifth mage adjusted his glasses and shook his head. "This is why I hate these soft-resets. I always get put into such low-elo queues at the beginning of the season."

"And what rank were you last season, you cocky little shit?" The tallest of the four men, his imposing presence evidently distinguishing him as the leader of their group. "I'll have you know that every single of us in our party and our champions made it into the Silver league."

The fifth mage scoffed. "I made it to Gold III last season. I can't say the same for you and your buddies. Bet you all are too poor to even afford your own top tier champion."

"We run along just fine with our current champions. All four of them were undefeated gladiators, master assassins, and professional marksmen in their own right." The leader of the four shot back.

"Pathetic. I earned just enough last year to hire Master Yi of Ionia. And we sync quite well too."

The leader's smile grew even wider. "Good! We'll have an even greater time crushing that new mid-lane duo. See you on the field soldier."

As the tall mage walked back to chat with his party members, a voice sounded in the fifth mage's head.

"Markus. What do you think of our new duo?" Master Yi asked in his usual, quiet voice.

"Not much. After all, we'll leave it up to that tall mage over there and his champion to take care of mid-lane. We're taking charge of the jungle."

"But you know, Markus, what do _you_ think of them?"

"They're new on paper, but realistically? No, I don't think they're new to battle. I believe they will prove to make this match a little more interesting than I foresaw."

"Hmm, how can you tell, Markus?" Master Yi's voice resonated.

"I can see it in that girl's eyes. She has seen things that are far too brutal for the eyes of the innocent. And that boy's tattoos. Those are the marks of the infamous _death zone_ in Zaun." Markus commented.

"Good, good," Master Yi sounded satisfied."You have not yet lost your edge, Markus. Although I do believe you've developed quite the unique sense of humour."

"How so?" the question was cold and unwelcoming.

"Well, you've managed to deceive those men into thinking you're a Gold-ranked mage in the league when you've in fact, peaked at Platinum II last season." The Wuju Bladesmaster chuckled.

"Hmph. I just thought it was for the greater good of this match if those four hairless apes over there didn't get overly confident."

"I see you remember my advice. _Do not let your pride blind you._ Just remember, if we somehow fall into the scenario in which we are outmatched, do not let your anger get the better of you. _Anger gives motivation without purpose. Doubt is the greatest enemy._ "

An alarm sounded as the lights above the circular room dimmed to the lowest setting. Five circles engraved into the stone floor, each positioned to form a larger, encompassing circle, lit up with a blue, magical glow. Markus moved into his respective circle, which was marked with a symbol of a tree, and raised his hands, palms upwards, as if addressing a crowd. The other four mages moved into position as well and did the exact same.

As soon as all the mages assumed their positions in the circle, mystical power surged through each of them and cast a powerful aura surrounding each individual figure. A compartment above each mage opened up and from the cavity lowered three electrodes. They gently attached themselves to the foreheads of each mage.

" _Mage sync complete_." A feminine, robotic voice announced. " _System functioning at 100%. Mages may now use the telepathic communications system."_

Another wave of power surged through the circular chamber and mages' eyes began to glow with a blue light.

" _Champion-Mage sync complete. Functioning with—0% chance of error. The match will begin in . . . thirty seconds."_

"Ey, what do you all say to camping mid lane?" the tall mage shouted.

Markus rolled his eyes. "There is no need to raise your voice. We can all hear you inside our heads."

"Still the cold little fucker aren't you?" the tall mage laughed loudly.

"Don't make me mute you."

"Alright, alright, just make sure you gank my lane you goldie-mother-fucker."

"I will gank when you provide me with an opportunity to do so." Markus said without a hint of humor in his voice.

" _Five, four, three . . ."_ the announcer counted down.

Markus's eyes gleamed with exhilaration. Markus and Master Yi's voice merged together, speaking in unison.

" _Let us begin._ "

 **. . .**

"How much health does he have?" Ekko asked before ducking to avoid a red bolt of energy soaring from a minion's staff. He dashed quickly to the left, then blinked to the attacking minion and smashed his Chronoblade over the creature's head. It gave a mechanical groan and dissolved into a mush of digital particles.

"Ugh, I can never get over how weird these creatures are," He said in disgust.

" _They're bio-digital projections. Creations of the Hextech mainframe. The closest analogy I can provide you is they're similar to what you understand as a tangible hologram_." Rosalyn said without the slightest hesitation.

"Thanks, Rose." Ekko grinned.

" _Please refrain from using that name during a match_." Rosalyn rebuked him indifferently. Ekko sheathed his weapon and gave up on small-talk.

"Well, how much health does that guy have? He's been camping under his turret for the past few minutes."

" _We have reduced his health to approximately 46%_."

"Always the exact numbers," Ekko commented under his breath as he drew his Chrono blade again. "Thanks, Rose."

" _I've told you repeatedly not to call me R_ —" Rosalyn began but Ekko had already sped off towards the enemy turret.

" _I'll do my thing, you do your best to get me out alive._ " Ekko sent the message as a mental image, which entered Rosalyn's consciousness through the telepathic communications system.

" _Fair enough."_

The boy jumped over a minion, using its head as a step and soared even higher into the air. At his peak height, he threw a small device the size of a golf-ball towards the tower which, as soon as it hit the ground immediately expanded into the _Timewinder._ A temporal-electrical field resonated off the _Timewinder_ , slowing everything around it but the expanded device itself spun like a top at a dangerously high speed, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. When Ekko landed, the _Timewinder_ contracted and flew back towards the boy, smashing everything blocking its way.

The man underneath his turret had hid behind it, letting it take the brunt of the attack, but was visibly affected by the _Timewinder's_ temporal-electrical field. He stumbled out into the open, dazed. Spotting Ekko a few meters away, he shouted an obscenity and drew his saber, rushing recklessly at the boy.

"I guess you're the same as any other amateur, aren't you." Ekko called out to the man. He stood in place, waiting until the last moment to swerve to one side, balancing on one leg at an impossibly low angle but maintaining his center of gravity on that leg all the while. The enemy champion's saber swung harmlessly over him as he brought his Chrono blade upwards in one quick motion and into the back of the man's head. There was a _crunch_ sound of impact as the blunt force of Ekko's unique weapon finished the man off. The man's body crumpled to the ground, limp and lifeless, before fading away as if it had never existed.

By now, the turret had already begun targeting him as the ground before him exploded into smoke, dirt and rubble. His ears were filled with a disorienting ringing, throwing his perception into confusion. The first turret shot had missed by a few inches but he couldn't risk letting down his guard a second time. The sound of air being sucked into a vacuum told him the turret was charging its next shot, but the speed between the charge and discharge was insane. Before Ekko knew it, another giant bolt of red energy torpedoed towards him, homing into him like a heat-seeking missile.

" _GET ME OUT OF HERE._ " Ekko screamed into his telepathic-comms. Today, he decided, was not the day to die.

" _Okay,"_ Rosalyn replied blandly. Ekko felt a push from an unseen force, saw a flash of yellow light envelop him, and in the blink of an eye, was instantly teleported a ten meters from the spot where he would've been fried by the turret shot. He sighed with relief.

" _Should've walked away."_ Ekko thought cheerfully, before getting rebuked by Rosalyn again.

" _Enough with your silly catch phrases, Ekko. Every time you think or say them, I can hear you in my head loud and clear. It's irritating and distracting_." Ekko heard Rosalyn say in his head.

"Just happy to be alive, Rose."

" _It's not like you'll actually die when your health is reduced to 0%. You'll simply respawn at the fountain a few moments later."_

"I still feel 70% of the pain, Rose. Although I don't _expect_ you to understand." Ekko retorted, but immediately regretted it.

" _You don't understand a SINGLE thing about pain, so don't talk to me about pain."_ Rosalyn lashed back at him, rage burning through cold, emotionless demeanor for a second before expertly returning to her previous state of mind.

" _Return to base and heal up. We'll take down the mid-lane turret on our next push."_

Ekko should've been glad that Rosalyn's anger had dissipated as soon as it sprung forth, but instead, he felt as miserable as ever because the first and only display of emotion from Rosalyn that he had witnessed in the past few days was this black, bottomless hole of negativity.

 _I wish I knew how to fix this,_ he sulked.

 _Come back to us Kaleb._

 _Come back to us._

* * *

 **I've taken quite the liking to this "character's-thought-based" chapter endings if you haven't noticed, but as I suspect it is a merely a writer's fad, the way I end off chapters will eventually diversify. If you enjoyed this chapter, and if you've enjoyed this fanfic thus far, please leave a comment below in the review section!**

 **As of now, I'm probably going to continue working on this fanfic and take a break from my other story but FEAR NOT, I will try to make the updates and revisions to Reunions to the best of my ability in compensation.**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	9. Chapter 8: Chronobreak!

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 8**

 **Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's note:** **N** **ot much to say, I'm sleepy as hell right now. Don't really know what I was thinking, uploading this chapter 3:00 in the morning (*weak smile). Anyways, I decided to break this chapter up in two parts cuz they were distinctly two different settings but unlike how I usually switch from setting to setting, they're more like two separate chapters but because they were shorter than the usual chapter, I simply decided to combine both into one chapter.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Chronobreak / The Blade of my Sorrow**

 **PART 1: Chronobreak**

 _Come back to us Kaleb._

The thought was branded into Ekko's mind, a constant reminder of a promise that would never come to be fulfilled.

" _15 seconds until the enemy mid-laner respawns."_ Rosalyn informed him.

"Thanks," he replied without fully processing what she had said.

He casually parried a strike from a melee minion, and kicked the creature away. The force was enough to deplete the red bio-digital projection of all its health, causing it to dissolve into the usual mush. Holding another four minions off, he decided to simply clear the wave with one well-aimed _Timewinder._ As the device contracted and returned to him, Rosalyn's urgent voice sounded in his head.

" _Ekko, this is urgent. I've just received news from our top laner that he and his entire minion wave was wiped out by a gank from the enemy jungler. And it's not just any champion. It's Master Yi, one of the 132 top-tier, legendary champions. By my deductions, he's coming to our lane next."_

"What's Master Yi doing in a low elo match like this?" Ekko stopped to catch his breath.

" _It would be reasonable to assume that his mage at the present was subjected to a soft-reset to his rank and was placed with us for his promotional matches. He must have been ranked in the Gold or Platinum leagues last season to be able to afford a top-tier champion."_

Ekko grinned. "Perfect. I'll be able to get some real practice."

" _Keep in mind it is not the champion or the mage that determines the outcome of a battle. It is the unity and equilibrium between both. You must remain focused in sync with me throughout this potential fight."_

"Don't worry. I won't let some top-tier champion unnerve me."

" _Be wary of our enemy mid laner as well. He has respawned and is making his way down towards where we are at the moment. They will probably attempt to operate upon the basis of surprise, falsely assuming that we lack the map awareness to determine what would seem to be a disadvantageous situation."_

"Hah, I can take them both of them on at the same time."

" _Very well, if it is in my judgement that you are fatally close to losing all your health, I will aid you in your escape."_

"Glad you've got my back," grumbled Ekko, who sounded irritated but was in fact, smiling on the inside. That was as far as Ekko could get Rosalyn to care about his wellbeing, but it was progress.

 _At least she's not completely cold._

" _I am simply fulfilling my duty as your mage. Otherwise, we cannot hope achieve our goals"_ Rosalyn asserted.

"W-what? You heard m—?" Ekko stuttered, before the truth hit him. "Right. I'm an idiot. You're inside my head."

" _Yes, and I can hear all the thoughts that you don't bother keeping private. I'd advise you to start filtering through and through."_

"I'm positioning for _Chronobreak_. Tell me when our ward picks up movement on Master Yi and I'll keep a visual on our enemy mid-laner. Changing settings on the Z-Drive in preparation for _Parallel Convergence._ "

" _Master Yi's movements detected, 1400 units away, closing in fast."_ Rosalyn reported.

"Great, I'll start the timer for the _Convergence_. I'll have _Phase Dive_ at the ready."

It was time to get to work.

" _I'm going to switch the modes on your Timewinder to the Flashbinder Prototype. It will use up more energy on your Z-Drive but we can return to the fountain to resupply after this fight."_ Rosalyn stated.

"I'll let you make that call."

" _I have a visual on both incoming enemies. Keep moving around the designated area to reduce movement predictability until the last possible moment."_

"I see them too." Ekko readied his Chronoblade in a defensive stance and felt the air around him seize up, as if time were slowing down. In fact, time _was_ slowing down. " _Parallel Convergence_ has been initiated—detonation set to trigger at the detection of foreign entities entering the sphere."

" _Steady. Steadyyy."_ Rosalyn counted in her head as the two enemy champions closed the distance within a matter of seconds. " _Master Yi has initiated Highlander and Enemy mid laner has begun his charge. Now!"_

As both enemies entered the translucent sphere simultaneously, a high, winding pitch exploded and a vortex of blue energy burst forth from the center of the sphere, catching all three champions in the midst. Suddenly, Master Yi and the mid-laner froze, as if caught by some sort of web and at the same time, a blinding, whitish-blue aura shrouded Ekko like a second skin.

 _They're stunned. I have approximately 1.75 seconds to attack._

 _Should be plenty of time._

Ekko squatted down slightly, focusing all his strength in his legs, then dove to one side and attacked. To his enemies, who were still caught in the time-freeze from the _Parallel Convergence,_ it would seem as if Ekko had vanished into thin air, then reappeared to the left before instantly teleporting behind them and striking both from behind in one single motion of his Chronoblade.

There was barely enough time to react before Ekko begun his next assault. As the sphere dissipated and both enemy champions were freed from their binds, Master Yi hit the ground running. This battle was no joke, and his enemy, Ekko, was no newcomer. Unfortunately, his mid-laner and the tall mage were so caught off guard that they stumbled around blindly, still looking for Ekko, who had already used _Phase Dive_ to blink behind them.

Ekko aimed a low kick at the mid-laner's legs, sweeping them and tripping his target who fell on his back. He stabbed downwards using his Chronoblade, essentially crushing the man's heart and killing him instantly. The man's remains dissolved into the ground. The boy immediately begun reassessing his surroundings for his second enemy but felt a sharp pain of flesh being cut from behind. Jumping a few steps forward and twisting around, he faced Master Yi.

"What a pain. The cut was too shallow." Master Yi assumed his natural _Wuju_ stance.

Ekko licked his drying lips and smiled grimly. "That's one sharp blade."

"Of course. I tend to it every day," and with that, Master Yi leaped forth, running at full speed towards Ekko. In response, Ekko hurled his _Timewinder_ at the swordsmaster, who dodged it by _Alpha-striking_ to a nearby minion. However, the _Timewinder_ morphed into its prototype, _Flashbinder_ —as Rosalyn had promised—which was essentially a more destructive version of its successor. When the prototype device reached its maximum distance and landed on the grass, it exploded. Master Yi, who was evidently within the range of the explosion, immediately channeled into _Meditate_. As a green, healing aura wrapped around him, the shrapnel from the explosion bounced off harmlessly.

That's when things got interesting. Unlike most of Ekko's inventions that exploded, the blue-hot magical detonation froze in mid blast. Columns of billowing blue energy fanned out from the epicenter. Bits of the disc's shrapnel twisted at a snail's pace along what, at normal explosion velocity, would be a deadly trajectory. Even the spherical blinding flash itself was frozen in space. The explosion then imploded, reforming itself into the palm-sized _Timewinder_ and rewound back to Ekko.

Although the boy could not see it he could feel Master Yi's eyes widen as the swordsman realized what had just happened.

The _Flashbinder_ was a façade to the real attack, to bait Master Yi into using _Meditate._ As the protective aura around the swordsman slowly faded, Master Yi caught a glimpse of Ekko—no— _another_ Ekko, a time-delayed hologram of the boy, which brushed past him before everything around him exploded into white light.

 **. . .**

"Even so, that's an impressive kills-deaths ratio."

"You simply underestimated us, Markus." Rosalyn brushed off the compliment.

"Oh? Are we on a first-name basis already? How did two enemies close such a drastic distance in their relationship in such a short period of time?" Markus casually slid his hands into his pockets.

"Surely you jest. I am simply addressing you as I would any other mage according to their registered name. You must be as dumb as Ekko, seeing that you entered your real name as your Mage name."

"Ooh, I have not experienced such a sharp tongue in so long. I might as well cry out in ecstasy." The older mage clutched his face dramatically. "So, how did you do it?"

Rosalyn looked at him as if she were speaking to a lunatic.

"How did I do what?"

"Don't play dumb with me. How did you and your champion gain so much power?"

"Just a matter of diligence, bro. Practice makes perfect." Ekko popped up from behind the mage and grinned.

"With your high skill and battle prowess, what are you two doing in such a low-elo match?" Master Yi walked out of one of the teleportation pods that transported champions to the arena.

"We're starting from the very bottom and making our way up." Rosalyn replied, as if the answer were obvious.

"I do not understand why you have not simply joined a professional team and climbed the ranked ladder that way. Would that not be significantly more efficient?" the swordsman inquired.

"They would only be in the way."

"Who exactly _are_ you two . . .? The Markus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"We'll be the one to usurp the current _Kings,_ and take rank one for ourselves." Rosalyn declared bluntly.

Master Yi and Markus gaped at her as if she was insane.

"Are you— _completely_ out of your mind?" Markus whispered with panic in his voice.

"No. It is what Ekko and I intend to achieve."

"Do you realize what would happen if any one of the _Kings'_ servants heard you?" Markus continued in an urgent whisper.

"What Markus means is it would be unwise to provoke the Kings in such an outspoken manner, especially in the public." Master Yi seemed to have regained most of his composure. "There would be _severe_ consequences if news were to get to any one of them that a mere solo-queue mage challenged their position."

"The Kings will know better than to send weaklings after us. Ekko won't be the only one they're dealing with." Rosalyn raised a hand and clenched her fist. A small, translucent black sphere materialized around her fist. She opened her fist slowly and the sphere expanded faster than any of them could blink, filling the entire lobby. Strangely, nobody except the four of them noticed and it did nothing more than send a chill down their spines.

"Don't take me for some champion-dependant mage. I could kill everyone in the lobby right now if I so much as wished for it." The look in Rosalyn's eyes told both Master Yi and Markus all they needed to know.

 _It's not a bluff. She's truly prepared to kill everyone in this lobby if it was called for._ Markus shivered. _What a terrifying presence._

Rosalyn's hand dropped back down to her side and the chilly feeling faded away. Markus let out a big sigh—he didn't even know he was holding his breath until this very moment.

"I'm sorry," Ekko yawned and broke the tense atmosphere, "What is all this stuff about usurping Kings? Ros—Rayven I thought we were just aiming for rank one."

"You realize that's still quite the feat right? Rank one…." Markus grumbled.

"It's true, we initially _were_ aiming for just rank one. But Kaleb and I discovered—" Rosalyn began, but bit her lip as if the latter statement had been a slip of tongue. "—But then _I_ discovered the existence of the Five Kings who were in a constant power struggle for rank one. In the past three years, there has not been a single mage who has broken through the threshold of the top 25 ranked mages. All top 25 positions in the ranked ladder are being held by the Kings and their 'servants', the Kings themselves obviously taking the top 5 spots. It would be evident that in order to take rank one, I would have to _crush_ all Five Kings and their teams. However, in order to do that, both Ekko and I needed to be officially registered. On paper, we would have to start from the bottom."

"I may be wrong," Master Yi stared at Rosalyn intently, "But is it possible that you have a _personal_ vendetta against the Kings?"

Rosalyn hesitated as a dark look fell upon her face. "Though the Kings are in perpetual conflict with one another, they also see one another as worthy opponents and thus, have developed a sense of sibling-like rivalry. In other words, although they would like nothing more than to kill one another, they also are protective of their own kind and lash out at those who threaten to break their 'Great Wall' that is the 25 of the most powerful mages in Runeterra. Greedy and arrogant as they are, it is of their values and beliefs that only a King may defeat or kill another King."

"But what's the catch?" Master Yi pressed. "What is the driving force behind your ambitious goals?"

"Those eyes of yours truly do see through everything don't they." Rosalyn sounded more resigned than annoyed. She ran her hands through her long, black hair.

"I also discovered the name of one of the Kings. Antoine Milano. The man who murdered my entire village."

 **. . .**

 **PART 2: The Blade of my Sorrow**

"Soooo—I don't have to wear the mask or my bodysuit around the house?" Kaleb asked for the seventh time in the past five minutes.

"Yes, Kaleb, you can change into your regular civilian clothes if that makes you more comfortable." Zachariah sighed.

" _How . . ._ how does this work again?" Kaleb placed his hands on and off his mask.

"Like I've explained to you for the past few times," Zachariah said as he carried the cardboard boxes labelled _'house décor'_ across the room one at a time. "Because of the purity and abundance of magical flow around the peak of this Ionian mountain where we built this house, I was able to harness the magical energy and form a barrier around this place with similar properties to Zilean's _Diachronika Replica_ or Amina's alternate dimensions."

"Which means . . .?" Kaleb moved his hands in a rotatory motion, gesturing for Zachariah to finish the explanation.

"Which means— _hhggh_ —" Zachariah grunted as he heaved the last cardboard box on top of an organized stack he had made. "—which means, that you can breathe and move perfectly fine without your protective gear. Just make sure you don't do anything that exerts more force than a typical household chore."

"Alright. If I die or get hurt, it's your fault. Here goes nothing." Kaleb positioned one hand on each side of his mask and gripped tightly. He let his middle fingers slide into small cavities with what appeared to be tiny buttons within them. "This should release the contraption."

As soon as Kaleb pressed the buttons, a hissing sound signified the release of some sort of gas compartment. He felt the mask loosen against his skin. He waited until the hissing sound slowly faded and then gently pulled on the mask. The metal clamps that strapped the mask to the back of his head gave way and the oxygen tubes fell limp to the side. He held the mask in his hands and stared at it in delight.

"Ohh my _days_ it feels good to be back."

"Spare me the drama and help me move the boxes with our kitchenware into the kitchen." Zachariah put on a façade of exasperation but his heart smiled with content. At least the void that had divided him from Kaleb had slowly closed its distance. Perhaps, in more ways than one, the intensive training from Zilean's last teaching had contributed to rekindling their brotherly bond.

"You have no idea, Zach. Why don't you put on the mask for a day and see what it feels like?" Kaleb touched his face as if it had been revitalized.

"I respectfully decline your offer. Now come help me."

"I still need to take off my bodysuit. It's so skin-tight I feel like I'm practically naked right now."

"Okay, okay, I don't need to hear the details," Zachariah interrupted before the boy could go any further. "Go change upstairs. Master Zilean collected most of your clothes from your old house and packed them all into one big box. It should be in your room, second door to the left after you reach the top of the stairs."

 _ **A few minutes later . . .**_

"Alright what do you need me to do?" Kaleb walked out into the front foyer and looked for the boxes Zachariah had asked for.

"Wait for me, I'll be right there."

Zachariah's footsteps could be heard thumping against the wooden floor from the foyer but they stopped as soon as he stepped into the narrow hall leading to the front door.

"Kaleb," Zachariah said slowly, "What are you wearing _?!"_

Kaleb had put on a thin, long-sleeved black shirt and nothing more than black, sports-boxers. He actually had quite a slender figure if one paid close attention to such aspects.

"Sorry for taking a bit longer, I wanted to wash my face before coming back down to help." Kaleb swept his black hair back with both hands, looking fresh as ever.

"Did you even hear what I said? _What_ are you wearing?" Zachariah looked utterly baffled. "At least put some pants on!"

"What? Why? This is what I wear when I'm at home." Kaleb sounded as innocent as he was confused. "Are you bothered by this?"

"No—I mean, yes—I mean—" Zachariah was at a loss for words. Shaking his head, he attempted to recapture his speech. "I mean, you wore this even when you were living with Rayven and the other boy?"

"Oh, no of course not." Kaleb assured him. "We lived in three separate, different places. Ekko lived in Zaun and both Rosalyn and I lived in Ionia, but in different districts.

"Well, you're living with me now." Zachariah persisted.

"So? We're both men. There's nothing to be embarrassed of. You can wear your boxers around the house if you want too."

"That's not the point!" Zachariah said loudly, exasperated. "Besides, why do you have—such a— _feminine_ body? Did you not hit puberty or something?"

This time, it was Kaleb's turn to gape at him.

"W-what does that even mean? _Feminine body?_ " Kaleb hugged himself self-consciously. "I do _not_."

"Yes you do." Zach insisted. "Your arms are slender, your shoulders are broad but not that significantly built. Your legs are well built enough to be called a guy's legs but still skinny for a champion. And—and your _beh_ _ind_ is proportioned as if you were a female. Heck, you've even got a slightly pretty face. I might as well call you pretty-boy."

"Are you possibly body shaming me?" Kaleb narrowed his eyes in challenge of Zachariah's claims.

"No, no, no, there's nothing wrong with having a _feminine_ body. You can take those as compliments." Zachariah said quickly. "I was just surprised. But seriously, stop deviating from the original topic of conversation. _Put. Some. Pants. ON."_

"Alright, alright, if it bothers you that much, I'll go back up and find something. Give me a minute." Kaleb began his walk back upstairs.

Zachariah sighed. _What a ruckus._

While Kaleb's hands searched for an appropriate pair of pants among all his other clothes in the box, his eyes wandered elsewhere noticed the hilt of a blade sticking out from underneath one of the other boxes. Curious, he paused his search and reached over to pull it out. As soon he touched the hilt with his fingertips, he felt a painful shock, as if it had ignited, and fell backwards crashing into the box that held his clothes. Footsteps came hurriedly up the stairs and Zachariah burst into his room.

"What happened?! Did you hurt yourself?" Zachariah immediately began assessing the room's environment for potential dangers. "I thought I told you not to engage in any physically straining activities?"

Kaleb rubbed his back which was starting to grow numb from the pain.

"I was trying to grab that blade underneath that box, but there was some sort of violent magical reaction."

"A blade? What bla—oh no. Oh _no_." Zachariah approached the box cautiously and flicked his fingers. The box moved itself gently off the blade, revealing the entirety of the weapon.

Which was nothing.

Because the hilt was all that was left of the weapon.

 **. . .**

"What the hell?" Kaleb stepped closer to the hilt, examining it from every angle possible.

There was nothing unique about it, besides the fact that it was missing the blade-part of the weapon itself. The hilt looked as if it were of a standard katana with a rectangular guard.

"Don't step too close to it," Zachariah warned.

 _But it intrigues me_.

"Don't touch it, Kaleb." Zachariah warned him again. "You already know what's going to happen."

 _But I want to._

"I don't want you to put yourself in another position of danger." Zachariah emphasized but Kaleb was still slowly inching his way towards the bladeless hilt.

 _But . . . but it feels . . . familiar._

Kaleb's consciousness was floating in and out of reality. He was beginning to experience another psychological dissociation. Another vision. _He could feel it coming._ Zachariah's voice was but a million miles away.

" _It calls for me_." Kaleb's speech was slurred as if in a trance.

"Kaleb, wake up! Kaleb, come back to me!" Zachariah grabbed the boy's arm and tightened his grip, pulling on it. However, for some peculiar reason, the boy was immovable, as if he had been glued in place. Fortunately, he was not getting any closer to the blade either.

" _I can hear its voice,_ " Kaleb continued, " _It's calling for me. It's calling my name."_

"It's all in your head, Kaleb. Tell me what's going on." Zachariah tried pulling on Kaleb but the boy remained firmly stuck.

" _It's telling me—it's telling me it has many names. B-but, at the same time, it is nameless. It has many forms, yet it is formless."_ Kaleb's irises began to glow with a purple

 _Nameless? Formless?_ Zachariah froze and was struck with an epiphany.

"The name of the blade . . . it's . . . the people of Ionia call it _Vagus_." Zachariah almost shouted.

" _Vagus . . .?"_ Kaleb repeated after Zachariah.

As soon as he named the blade, Kaleb buckled and collapsed on the ground.

"Kaleb! Kaleb, are you hurt?" Zachariah dropped to his knees and placed two fingers on the boy's neck, trying to feel for a pulse. He held his breath in anticipation until he felt a slight beat against his index finger.

"Hey," Kaleb croaked as he opened his eyes to a slit. "Am I alive?"

Zachariah breathed a sigh of relief, laughing from the mere ridiculousness of the question.

"Yes, Kaleb. You're alive." Zachariah patted the boy's shoulder. "You can lie down for a while. The bladeless hilt drained a significant portion of your spiritual energy while you were speaking to it."

"Yeah, I feel all weird and sleepy." Kaleb closed his eyes and yawned. "What is that thing?"

"Even though it has had many names in the past and its spiritual identity claims to be nameless, the people of Ionia have a common name for it. _Vagus_ —it's old Ionian for 'Wanderer'. Its blade supposedly takes the form of its wielder's emotions so if no one wields it, it would appear bladeless. However, it only appears to those it deems worthy of its partnership."

"Hah. Worthy? How am I worthy? I died to a mistake of an attack." Kaleb coughed weakly.

"Well, in this case, worthiness is determined by how much you've lost. In the Ionian myths, there was a powerful Grandmaster of the Order. He was falsely accused of murdering his successor on a power-hungry whim and thus, hunted by the entire Order across Ionia. However, as powerful as he was, he escaped them at every turn so they ended up naming him 'The Wanderer' and instead, exiled him from Ionia for all eternity. They essentially forced him to live in constant fear of captivity, and he was never able to settle down in any one place for too long. When he died of old age, it was said that his soul was scattered to the wind, unable to find a proper resting place due to be driven from his home country, until a legendary Protectorate Summoner known only as The White Phantom managed to gather all the pieces of his spirit and sealed it into a sword who's blade had been shattered."

"That still doesn't explain how I'm worthy of this apparently mythical weapon that just _happened_ to materialize as I was searching for a pair of pants."

"You've lost a lot, Kaleb," Zachariah said softly, "You've lost your life. Perhaps _Vagus_ sees you as a capable partner in taking back what's yours."

Kaleb sat up and looked at Zachariah with accusing eyes.

"I thought we already established that it was impossible to defeat Amina."

"No, we agreed that we would bide our time and get stronger. With this weapon, we have a chance."

"I guess." Kaleb was hesitant. This revelation gave him hope, and hope had destroyed him before."

"Try holding the weapon now."

"Excuse me? Did you just see what happened?"

"Just try it."

Kaleb raised an eyebrow but gave a small grin.

"Like I said, if I die, it's your fault."

The boy controlled his breathing and when it had steadied, he grabbed the hilt without another thought.

This time, there was no negative reaction. In fact, the hilt began to vibrate and a blade slowly grew from the guard. When it finished vibrating, the blade was indeed, at its full length, a katana. It gleamed in the sunlight that shone through the open window, but when Kaleb cautiously felt the blade's sharp side, he was greeted with a strange discovery.

"Uhh—Zach. It's dull."

Zachariah gave him a strange look.

"What do you mean it's dull?"

"I mean, _it's dull_. It's not sharp at all. It feel like a fake blade."

" _I AM NOT DULL OR FAKE._ " A voice boomed within their heads. Both of them flinched at the sudden proclamation.

"Did you just . . . _speak_ to us?" Kaleb stuttered with an incredulous expression on his face.

" _YES. GREETINGS, KASSADIN LUNACRUX REIYVER AND FELLOW WANDERER, ZACHARIAH PROTEAGUS."_

"Would then care to explain why you're dull?" Kaleb asked dumbly.

" _I AM NOT DULL YOU IMBECILE. YOU MUST FIRST GIVE ME FORM."_

"How do I _give you form_?"

" _POUR YOUR HEART INTO ME. I AM FORMLESS AS I KNOW NOT YOUR HEART."_

"You want me . . . you want me to let my emotions run free? I can't do that—I'll lose control." Kaleb looked down in shame.

" _IT IS THE ONLY WAY. YOU MUST GIVE ME A FORM TO TAKE OR I WILL CEASE TO EXIST."_

 _I can't . . ._

 _I'm afraid . . ._

 _I'll turn into HIM . . ._

* * *

 **Alright! I'm starting to get the hang of writing cliffhangers now (heh, get the pun?). In the next chapter, you'll find out another name that belongs to the Blade, _Vagus_ , a name that will complete Kaleb's identity as a champion! Post your comments in the REVIEW section below if you like the story so far!**

 **See you next time! Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	10. Chapter 9: Scars of a Forgotten Past

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 9**

 **Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: There are some names and terminology used in the following chapter that may look weird, but if you want to actually pronounce them accurately, read them as if they were Japanese names or words. Those who read manga or watch anime will probably understand.** **If you have any questions about them, feel free to leave me a comment.**

 **Also, I've only fully realized it now, but I listen to the same playlist for every chapter that I write. I find that it really adds to the atmosphere and allows me to write with more passion and drive. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to more subtle errors that I don't catch as part of my edits. For the you readers though, such a drawback does not exist. As such, if you want to try it out, search on YouTube "1-Hour Anime Mix - Most Beautiful & Emotional - Emotional Mix", which is a playlist made by Pandora Heaven. **

**I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Happy Reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Scars of a Forgotten Past**

 _I'll turn into HIM . . ._

"Kaleb, the energy in the blade is growing unstable! You have to reveal yourself to _Vagus_ or he'll simply combust!" Zachariah shouted urgently, but Kaleb didn't seem to hear him.

 _I'll turn into Kassadin._

" _Isn't that who you are?"_ a new voice resonated in his head. It was gentler. " _Aren't you Kassadin?"_

It was a girl.

" _I've been waiting for you all this time,"_ The female voice continued, " _I've been patient. Like you've always taught me."_

The voice was so soft.

" _You must find me, my Master. Find me and you shall remember."_

Kaleb blinked and suddenly, he was no longer in his bedroom. Gazing in awe of the view that surrounded him, an endless plain of beautiful pale-yellow stalks of wheat and tallgrass, he laughed with joyous serenity. He smiled just because he could. He felt _happy_.

Then, his vision suddenly blurred in and out of focus and he was hit with a familiar, nauseating headache. The truth hit him harder than the pain.

This—everything around him. Even the happiness. All of it was not real. This was another vision of the past.

A young girl he didn't recognize stood before him, dressed in a blue modern _hanbok_ that only reached her knees and a white _furisode_ over-top with a plain red _obi_ tied to her waist. She wore white knee-socks to cover up the otherwise bare skin below the skirt-half of her _hanbok_. The strangest part about the girl was not her clothing but her anatomy. Her white, furry ears appeared over her head like that of fox's and a long, bushy leaf-shaped tail swayed behind her like a nervous cat. She had long white hair, with two locks of hair that were longer than the others resting on either side of her shoulders.

When she looked up at him, he widened his eyes. Her skin was visibly soft and of a warm peachy tone and her vibrant blue eyes shone out at him like sapphires. She had a curious expression on her face and blushed when her eyes met with his. Surprisingly, she held his gaze, as if her curiosity overcame her timidity.

The young girl was no older than twelve but had that face that anyone could tell just by a glance that she was to become a beautiful young woman when she grew up. Kaleb was almost intimidated by the innocence of the beauty that lay behind that face.

" _So you're the one they sent to serve me."_ He stated without thinking.

" _Yes."_

" _I'm Kassadin."_ He scratched the back of his head, smiling humorously. " _Sorry, I know it's a weird name, but that's what my parents decided to name me."_

" _N-no."_

" _You don't like it? Ahh, don't worry I'm not offended. Even I think I have a rather ugly name."_

" _N-no, I meant, no, it's a beautiful name. It speaks of the night and its many wonders. It speaks of the moon and its guiding light to lost travellers. A-anyways, it's a good name and you shouldn't be ashamed of it"_ the girl insisted, as if she would become angry if Kaleb continued self-deprecating his name.

Kaleb stared at her then burst out laughing.

" _I like you. You're different from the other kids in the village."_

" _O-oh."_ The girl was caught by surprise at how this boy reacted to her outspoken statement.

" _W-what's your name?"_ Kaleb heard himself ask, but did not consciously do so. The vision was starting to lose focus.

" _Kitsune,"_ came the shy reply.

" _That's a boring name."_ Kaleb heard himself laugh good-heartedly. " _I know! From now on, I'm going to call you Shirohime. From now on, you'll be my Shirohime. I'll protect you as long as you protect me. That's a promise."_

" _I-if I get lost, will you find me?"_ the girl's curious gaze was turning into one of admiration.

Kaleb took her small hands and held it gently in his. " _Of course I will, Shirohime. I don't break my promises."_

For the first time, he noticed that his hands were only slightly bigger than the girl's. He also noticed that he was only about a half a head taller than her. Kaleb knew this was his younger-self but for some reason, he had no recollection of the memory happening.

" _Y-you're so kind, Master."_

Kaleb shook his head and smiled. " _You don't need to call me Master. Just call me . . . call me Kass!"_

 _. . . What?_

Kaleb's subconscious began to surface.

 _. . . It doesn't make sense._

Kaleb's subconscious continued to surface.

 _. . . I thought I was now . . . I thought by this time, I was already known as Kaleb. The Old Man gave me that name. So why, now, am I introducing myself as Kassadin?_

 _And why do I feel like this never happened?_

 **. . .**

" _Do you remember now?"_ the girl's voice was in his head again.

Time in the vision had frozen still. Kaleb was suddenly observing the scene from a third person perspective, floating above a figure of himself and the girl he was talking to.

" _Are you . . . are you the girl down there?"_ Kaleb asked the voice.

" _Yes."_ She replied. " _Or at least, it used to be."_

" _I feel like—"_ Kaleb strained his neck to get a better look at the frozen figures' faces but from his position, the shadows obscured them. " _I feel like that's us . . . but I don't remember anything of this moment. I don't remember you."_

" _Naturally,"_ the voice sighed, " _This moment was from another life. Another possibility in a world of endless possibilities. What could've been and what would've been."_

" _I-I don't understand."_

" _You will once you find me. It will all come back to you. A-a-after all, I promised to protect you too."_

" _How do I find you?"_ Kaleb asked, curiosity teasing him to the core. He needed to find out who this girl was.

" _That's a silly question, Master. You already have the blade. Once you have the blade, Vagus will always guide you to wherever you seek. Until then, Master Kassadin, until then."_

" _Wait! I have so many more questions! Like where is this place? Is this a vision? A spirit dimension?"_

" _You know the answers to all those questions. Goodbye for now, Master."_

" _Wait!"_ Kaleb called desperately, but when he blinked, he was back in his room. He was lost again.

 _A vision of the past within a Diachronika replica,_ was the first thought that surfaced in Kaleb's mind. But how—why did he suddenly know the answer?

" _Your mind is hardwired to prioritize and recognize the imperfections of these re-creations. That way, you can instantly determine between the actual form and its emulation."_ Zilean's voice reminded him.

 _What is this feeling though?_ Kaleb sunk to his knees, still enraptured by the vision. _It's filled to the brim with happiness yet—yet there's a hint of sorrow that comes with a lost memory of the past. It's . . . it's . . . it's . . ._

 _Nostalgia._

" _Peractorum,"_ Kaleb whispered without thinking.

Immediately, the katana he held began to emit a faint, blue aura that grew thicker by the second. It began to change. The silver metal on the blade melted into an abstract shape, twisting and morphing into a new form. It hummed with power as it took the shape of _Peractorum._ A blade of broken, longing memories. A blade full of nostalgia.

Zachariah stared speechlessly at Kaleb as the boy lifted the newly formed weapon into the sunlight seeping through the window. The katana had transformed into . . .

" _HAHAHAHAHA! YOU AMUSE ME, KASSADIN. OF ALL FORMS TO CHOOSE FROM, YOU HAVE ENDED UP WITH PERACTORUM! AAHH, I HAVEN'T TAKEN THIS FORM IN A VERY LONG TIME."_ Vagus boomed in their heads again. " _INTERESTING CHOICE."_

The katana had transformed into a long metal chain with a prisoner's cuff at each end. The chain was long enough to stretch to the ground and back up to Kaleb's hands.

" _CHAINED BY THE MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN PAST. HOW FITTING A FORM I HAVE TAKEN. NOW YOU MAY USE ME AS YOU SEE FIT."_

"What do I even use you for?" Kaleb sounded empty. "I'm presuming I can't use you on the Field. I must keep you hidden from Amina."

" _Hmph. I don't intend on letting you use me in the Arena. First, I will train you and then you will use me when you are ready."_ Vagus's voice suddenly spoke several volumes lower, almost at a conversational pitch. " _For now—hide me."_

Kaleb sighed and laid the chain weapon on the window sill. Immediately, a blue aura enveloped it and within seconds, it had returned back to its bladeless-hilt form.

"Kaleb," Zachariah put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "What did you see in the vision? What did Vagus show you?"

Scrubbing his eyes, Kaleb sat on a chair that had been carelessly placed next to the window.

"He showed me . . ." the boy closed his eyes and relived the image. ". . . a girl with white hair . . . who had the ears and tail of a silver fox. And me—or a boy who looked like me—but with short, dirty white hair. The girl looked around the age of twelve and I, around fourteen."

"I don't recall you having white hair when you were fourteen," Zachariah chuckled.

"Neither do I," Kaleb did not seem to find the statement humorous. "Among other things, the scene was really _off_. As if . . . it was fabricated from a memory that doesn't belong to me."

The crow prince crossed his arms. "Did the girl have a name?"

"S-Shirohime."

"Hmmm . . ." Zachariah leaned on the wall adjacent to the window, facing Kaleb. "Shirohime, huh? If I recall, it means ' _white maiden'_ in the Hirana dialect. Though it's more of a nickname isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think so. She told me her real name at the start. Uhh, it was _Kit_ . . . _Kitsu_ . . ."

Zachariah grew rigid and stood straighter. "Kitsune?!"

"Yeah, that's it. You know her?"

"Know her? No. But know _of_ her? Of course!" Zachariah exclaimed.

"Is she famous or something?" Kaleb frowned at his own ignorance.

"Well . . . you could say so. She was a deity of the wild who was cursed by the Ancient Watchers for directly communicating with mankind. The curse trapped her in the mortal form of a young human girl who would grow as a human and think as a human. It's a celebrated mythic story that parents tell to their children before bedtime."

"How do I find her? She said if I want answers, I'll have to find her." Kaleb suddenly spoke with vigorous eagerness.

"Eh, how do you find her? There's someone I know of that might give you a clue to the truth behind the myth, but she's quite hard to find. I've never personally met her. But we can try after our promotional matches."

"Oh . . ." Kaleb's dejected look returned.

"Well, good news is," Zachariah clapped his hands together and grinned. "The myth says she lives somewhere in the Ionian South."

"Oh," Kaleb's smile replaced his depressed look, "That's not too far from here."

 **. . .**

" _Blue Side Victory!"_ The announcer declared.

"Tch." A hooded figure scoffed as he walked out of the Mages' chamber and past the opponents' chamber. All five enemy mages were on their hands and knees, panting. He looked back at his ally mages, who were all staring at him as if he were an anomaly.

 _I presumed as much—that it would end like this. With my enemies at their knees and my allies uncertain of whether to shake with admiration or fear._ These were the figure's thoughts. To any other, his statements would appear arrogant but in his case, they weren't simply empty words. There was power deserving of arrogance behind such thoughts.

As he proceeded down the hall to the main lobby of the Arena, the Mages he passed by began to speak in vain whispers.

"Oi, isn't that the new Mage who slaughtered the opponent single handedly?"

"Yeah, I heard he did it with his own Champion."

"I heard he and his Champion cut down their enemies with such cold, heartless eyes that even their teammates didn't dare cross their path."

"What outliers."

"Hmm, what loners."

"What monsters."

When he entered the main lobby, he found his champion already waiting for him.

"You're fast. How did you change so quickly?" he asked.

"It's only because you're slow, Zach." Kaleb smirked. "I only had to take off those annoying shoulder and waist guards.

"Fair enough. I simply took my time as I saw no rush to leave."

"How typical of you." Kaleb said in a mocking tone. When Zachariah refused to satisfy him with a retort, he continued. "Pretty clean victory for us, eh?"

The older of the two sighed, shaking his head as if a parent berating his child. "Remember our principle. Let nothing affect you in the Arena and cut down all enemies mercilessly. This is our job so let us take it seriously."

He leaned closer to Kaleb, whispering in the boy's ears. " _Amina_ _must be satisfied with flawless wins or she won't be understanding."_

Kaleb nodded lazily. "Honestly it's all so boring at this stage. I can read all their movements in an instant. I wish we could simply skip the first three leagues."

"You can complain later. We're going home.

"Hmmm, and where do you think you're going?"

A large man stood in their way with a giant sword in his hand. He rested the sword on his shoulder and glared menacingly at the two young men.

"You think you can just impress all these people and walk away without consequences?"

Zachariah didn't even spare him a glance, keeping his face hidden underneath his hood. "I'll leave you to your self-glorifying and envious fantasies, big guy. If you have a problem with us, you may fight us in the Arena. This is no place to start a conflict."

"You scared of publicly losing?" the man waved his sword in a threatening manner.

"You really should sheathe your weapons when you aren't using them." Zachariah said in a dismissive tone. "It would be uncivilized to simply wave that giant stick around like a toy."

"Huh? Who do you think you are? Just because you won your first promotional match in the lowest league, you think you can act all high and mighty?" the man looked down on them. "I can pulverize you right here if I wanted to, you piece of Bronze trash."

"Oh? And how, might I ask, would you plan on doing so?" Zachariah couldn't help but sneer a little in return.

"Haha, uhh, Zach I thought you said we were going—" Kaleb laughed nervously, not wanting to cause a commotion. The large man retorted, as if Kaleb had not spoken at all.

"Get it through your thick head you Bronzie scum. I'm a top-tier B-class Champion and my Mage is ranked 2nd in the Silver league right now. You're no match for me."

Zachariah's smile only got deadlier. "That's what they all say—before they kneel before me."

"Zach—!" Kaleb warned, but it was beyond him. His partner took his hood off and tensed his entire body.

" _Aura!"_ Zachariah whispered and in an instant, everyone in the lobby except Kaleb collapsed, overwhelmed by the mere emittance of the Crow Prince's spirit energy.

 _What is THIS?! What intense mana density!_ The large man felt as if all the air around him had escaped into the atmosphere. He stumbled about before dropping to his knees and succumbing to unconsciousness.

"Zach!" Kaleb's call brought Zachariah back from his offensive state.

"Ahh, I might have gone too far." He looked around, wincing at the damage he had caused. Indeed, there was not one Mage or Champion in sight that was unaffected by the sudden outburst of Zachariah's aura.

"Let's leave before anyone determines the culprit." Kaleb said cheerfully, practically, skipping out of the Arena lobby.

As the two left towards the sunset, a man of average stature peaked from behind one of the pillars in the main lobby.

 _More monsters among us, huh,_ he licked his lips. _That's two pairs of amateurs in the past two days that possess abilities far beyond their current competition. The Ionian girl and the Zaunite boy the other day . . . displayed almost equally monstrous power._

"I can't _wait_ to face this generation's prodigies." He whispered to no one in particular before melting back into the shadows behind the pillar.

 **. . .**

 _ **A few days later . . .**_

"Our intel has informed us of a change in your match schedule." Karma started as Rosalyn opened the door to her small town-house.

"We don't need you to consistently update us on our match schedule. We check it regularly." Rosalyn said bluntly.

"You never listen to the end, do you? The change affects you in which as long as you and Ekko and the Black Phantom as his mage continuing winning your promotional matches, you won't cross swords just yet. Apparently, the system that manages the organization of the matches malfunctioned and thus, the current _status quo_."

"Why does it matter that we fight against the Black Phantom or not? Why do you seem so fixated on our matchup with this Champion?"

Karma gave the girl a subtle smile. "I heard he and his mage are quite new, like you and Ekko. He's quite strong too."

"And that's supposed to interest me?" Rosalyn closed the door as Karma stepped in.

"No, it's simply my way of reminding you to be cautious. After all, you want to fulfill this dream of yours in Kaleb's place and honor don't you?"

"Kaleb was a former member of our team that I drastically overestimated. He was a mistake and a failure that brings shame to me in having ever thought of allowing him to join my side. I'm fighting for the top rank for my own sake and Ekko has agreed to help me as my Champion. There _is_ no'Kaleb' in this equation." Rosalyn locked the front door as soon as she shut it. "Now let me ask you again—why are you helping us even though I'm pretty sure you're aware of this fact?"

"It's what Kaleb would've wanted. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Kaleb. If you are that insistent on pushing me away, then I'll leave you alone for good. But make your desire explicit instead of asking me questions because if you keep making an inquiry of my actions, you sound like you're not so sure whether you want my help or not."

Ekko walked out of the kitchen into the front foyer and glanced disappointingly at Rosalyn.

"Just suck up your pride and let her say what she has to say Rose." Ekko grumbled.

"Fine," Rosalyn turned and walked past Karma, who stayed put. "Just one thing. You keep warning us about this Black Phantom persona so are you implying that he's strong enough to beat Ekko and I?"

Karma chose her words carefully. "I believe . . . I believe he and his mage are competent enough to rival or at least, pose a threat to your combined power with Ekko."

"I'll take note of him then," Rosalyn walked into the kitchen and walked back out with a glass of water. "But until I've fought him, I will only acknowledge him as a mediocre obstacle in the way of my goals."

"Then that's all I need to hear." Karma turned and unlocked the door. She put her hand on the doorknob but before opening the door, she stopped and turned around to say one last word. "I think you should listen to your Champion more often. Learn from his humility and do not underestimate anyone."

"I'm well aware of mine and Ekko's strengths and weaknesses."

Karma walked out of the town-house into the rain—which seemed to be a constant in the weather for the past few days—without looking back and said, "I pray that you do."

She stepped onto the uneven stone road and kneeled down, tapping her boots lightly. She whispered, " _Homeguard,"_ and the boots began giving off golden sparks at the heel. As she did so, a two hooded figures walked past her, in the direction of the Rail-car Station. The shorter one, caught up in a secretive conversation with the other, accidently brushed past her and almost knocked her aside, but immediately bowed apologetically.

"Sorry!" he repeated three more times, as if a child were apologizing to its parent, begging for forgiveness. To Karma's surprise, his voice was slightly boyish.

"Oh don't worry about it, I shouldn't have been blocking the road." Karma smiled at the hooded individual's manners and for a second, their eyes met. Perhaps it was simply her imagination or the shadow of the hood's disfiguration, but she thought she saw the young man's eyes widen, then drop his gaze to the ground. The taller figure pulled him away by the arm and dragged him towards their original destination.

"Hey!" Karma called after them over the rain. "Have we met?"

The two figures seemed to have a small struggle with the taller one appearing to grapple at the shorter one's face before the latter pushed his partner away and turned to face Karma.

"No." his voice had suddenly changed to a deep rasp, scraping at Karma's ears. Alarmed, Karma, took long, quick strides towards him. The man was trying to hide something.

"Show me your face." Karma demanded, but the taller figure had recovered from his scuffle with the shorter man. He thrust his right, gloved hand out at Karma, clawing at the air.

" _Stay back!"_ his voice was a deep rasp as well. As soon as the man made the gesture, a wave of aura burst forth without warning, forcing Karma back a few steps.

 _This aura—his mana pool—it's insane!_ Karma felt fear creep up her back for the first time in years. _It's almost as strong as my father's. Who is this man?_

Before Karma could recover from the overwhelming release of spirit energy, the taller figure grabbed his shorter counterpart by the arms yet again and dragged him into a nearby alleyway. Karma rushed forward, using the _Homeguard_ spell she cast on her boots to almost instantaneously reach the entrance to the alleyway.

 _I've got you_ _—_ _Wha—?!_

Karma stood dumbfounded at the sight before her.

The two mysterious figures had already disappeared.

* * *

 **Aaaand that's Chapter 9! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter as it marks the point where we can finally begin to gauge each of the major characters' abilities and compare them to one another. It also marks the point where we start to see the point of convergence of all the main characters in the near future!**

 **I'm starting to put more effort into editing each chapter instead of writing them and then rushing to upload them onto FanFiction in order to get chapters out as soon as possible. However, if you catch anything that you want me to add or improve, whether it be character development, plot development, action sequences, atmospheric imagery, character backstories or other miscellaneous aspects of the story, leave a comment in the review section below.**

 **If you liked this chapter and would look foward to more of this story, don't forget to Follow my fanfic and add it to your Favorites!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	11. Chapter 10: The Giver

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 10**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: Finally! This was probably the chapter I most looked forward to writing, and also the longest chapter I have ever written so far. It is also worth noting that after much effort and reflection, I have managed to create a nice balance between dialogue and action, so that it's not just people talking forever. For those who have actually made it this far into the fanfic (I know some readers, for some reason, most likely due to the somewhat confusing first few chapters, stop early on in the story) I thank you all for following along!**

 **This journey's going to be a blast!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Giver**

 _ **A few hours earlier . . .**_

" _Congratulations Thanatos! After a flawless ten victories in your promotional matches, you have proceeded to the Gold II league! Good luck in the Arena!"_ The message played out loud on Zachariah's hand-held device

"Tch. Thanatos. What a lame name." Kaleb teased.

"Good work, Kaleb." Zachariah ignored Kaleb's taunt. "But this is just the beginning. I heard that another pair of amateurs did almost as well as we did. They may be our potential rivals."

"Another pair—Ah, I have a pretty good idea at who they are." Kaleb sighed.

"So do I," Zachariah's reply was just as gloomy. "So . . . just how good is this friend of yours?"

"What do you mean? Ekko or Ros—Rayven?" the boy asked absentmindedly.

"Uhh, the other one. The boy—Ekko."

"Good enough. I've only ever watched him fight because we both shared the same alias when we were fighting unofficially so only one of us could fight at a time. But he's got insane talent and skill."

"Do you think you can beat him?"

Kaleb looked up from his bowl ramen and gave Zachariah a look that seemed both sad and confused.

"Probably—but I thought Amina informed us that as long as we don't lose a single match, our chance of encountering them in the Arena is close to 0% until we reach the Challenger league?"

Zachariah's eyebrows scrunched up in thought.

"As long as the chance is not 0%, I want to prepare for the worst."

Kaleb suddenly slammed his fist on the table, spilling some of his soup.

"If we really do end up fighting them, there's a major problem. Ekko may not be completely familiar with my abilities but Rayven knows everything about me, down to my very movements to the smallest detail. She might find out we are." Kaleb bit his lip. "Actually, we might not even have to fight them. The higher on the ranked ladder we climb, the more likely our matches are recorded onto the League's public database. When we hit Diamond or even Platinum, Rayven could easily access our match history recordings if she were to get curious."

"Then . . ." Zachariah began to say but drifted off. His fingers tapped on the surface of the table in unison, as if signifying the gears turning in his mind. His expression then darkened. "We might have to . . . _you_ might have to devise an entirely new style."

Kaleb looked at his partner with a bewildered look on his face.

"And how in Ionia's name am I supposed to do that?"

Zachariah's dark expression brightened. "Oh my, I've just come across the brightest idea."

"Don't get all poofy and proud," scoffed Kaleb lightly, "What've you got in mind?"

Zachariah grinned with a smile that could almost be called mad. "You could use some of the excess energy from your void-stone and channel it into your movements. The magic signature that your abilities leave behind would be completely different due to the void-stone's enhancements. You could effectively get stronger _and_ retain your anonymity."

Kaleb smiled with him. "I guess you do have a brain somewhere in that big head of yours."

"You'll still have to work on new techniques and fighting styles because she might be able to visually discern your physical movements."

"I-I have an idea for that particular aspect but you're not going to like it."

Zachariah breathed out heavily. "Tell me."

"Remember _those_ techniques that Master Rivello—father mentioned right before you disappeared? He told us one of his brightest students had created the techniques."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that," Zachariah frowned, confused, but the answer started to dawn on him.

"I think to call it a sword style rather than a technique would be a more accurate description. After all, _Vagus_ is in the most general perspective, a sword."

" _NO._ Absolutely not. We are not—we _cannot_." Zachariah finished the rest of his ramen in one gulp, as if in a panic. "It would be suicide."

"Listen to the rest of my idea before you object. There is a possibility that Amina will find out about _Vagus_ given how suspicious she is. But if purposely _show_ her the weapon in a very specific way, we could rid ourselves of those dangerous suspicions. The only way we can achieve that is to use _Vagus_ against Rayven and Ekko. We could kill two birds with one stone, obscuring our identities from Rayven _and_ show that golden bitch that we intend to use the weapon to serve her." Kaleb explained excitedly.

"I still don't approve of the idea. It's too risky." Zachariah insisted.

"I'm betting that you still remember the name of that special blades-master. Or at the least, you have an idea on how to find him." Kaleb continued persistently.

Zachariah tried his best to suppress the growing excitement within him, but his heart was beating quicker from the one thing that could either mean their downfall or their salvation. It beat with hope.

He clenched his teeth and threw away all regards for safety. After all, there _was_ no safety in dealing with the Golden Watcher.

"Very well." He stood up and carried his empty bowl to the kitchen countertop. "Pack only what you need. We're going to Freljord."

"Frejlord?" Kaleb finished his ramen and did the same as Zachariah. "But I thought he was Ionian?"

"He is. But we'll never find him by just looking for him. There is someone who resides in Freljord and holds the one clue to finding him. She holds the key to finding Yasuo."

 **. . .**

 _ **In the Present . . .**_

"Shit! I can't believe we ran into _her_ out of all people." Zachariah panted. "I've never shadow-travelled so quickly in my life."

Kaleb was just as out of breath as his partner, leaning against the brick wall for support.

"I can't believe you left me behind to die— _ack-haah-haah—_ I barely—had enough time—to warp out of there."

"Oh don't be so dramatic. You wouldn't have died."

Kaleb gave his partner an accusing look. "You're one to talk. One look at your own sister and you panicked like a cornered animal."

"Exactly _because_ she is my sister. She might've recognized my aura."

"Well didn't you make it worse by intimidating her when you released your aura?"

"I-I panicked. And hey, she's your sister too," Zachariah shot back.

"Well—yeah, but . . ." Kaleb hesitated.

"Is there something I'm missing out on? Did something happen between you two while I was gone?" Zachariah raised an eyebrow.

"No, nothing happened," Kaleb said quickly. "We worked hard. We—uhh . . . we bonded quite . . . closely."

Kaleb mentally punched himself in the gut. _What are you even saying you numb-nut,_ he scolded himself.

"Well I'd hope so. I wouldn't want the relationship between you and Karma to wilt just because I left. Then again, she took quite a liking to you the moment she met you. You would know—she doesn't just open herself up to anyone."

Kaleb stared at his feet to conceal his reddening cheeks.

"R-relationship?! W-what are you implying?"

Zachariah looked at him with his mouth open, as if he had just witnessed an idiot attempting to solve a puzzle.

"Your relationship with Karma? I said I was hoping you two continued to grow together as any siblings would. What—I'm not going to step on you and mention your adoptive status."

"Haha, right—yeah." Kaleb laughed at himself and sighed with relief. "Wait—you just stepped on me after saying you wouldn't do so."

Zachariah shrugged. "You asked for clarification."

After a moment of awkward silence, they both stared at each other and burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

"That was a close one." Zachariah wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"If this happens again in the future, can we just run for it instead of doing something stupid like we just did?" Kaleb squatted down and re-did the laces on his boots.

"Yeah. Definitely." Zachariah agreed.

"Now—which way was the Rail-car Station?"

 **. . .**

 _Damnit. Where did they go?_

Karma ran into the alley, searching all the way to the other side, which led to another empty street. The two mysterious figures were nowhere to be found.

 _Did they somehow escape to the roofs?_

She did a half-squat, channelling all her energy into her legs and using the propulsion from the _Homeguard_ spell she cast on her boots, she jumped and launched upwards, landing perfectly onto the roof of one of the town-houses making the alley. To her disappointment, the roofs were just as devoid of life.

 _And that aura too . . . where have I felt that aura before?_

Not giving up, she activated the portable magical _comms-unit_ built into her lavender-jade bangle with a tap.

"Surveillance unit, do you copy?" she raised the bangle up to her mouth and spoke into it. After a few seconds, a voice replied.

"Yes, Commander-in-chief. What are your orders?"

"Surveillance Unit Chief, Zelos, is that you?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Monitor every single individual who traverses the Valoria City Rail-car Station. Blacklist anyone who fits the following descriptions. One man, height of 6 feet 3 inches, and another man, height of 5 feet 11 inches. The shorter man has indigo-colored irises."

"Understood."

"Oh and also, just in case, mark down anyone you observe travelling as a pair."

"Any further orders, Commander?"

"One last thing. Order Irelia and her Special-Ops squadron to standby but be ready for immediate deployment. Station them within thirty seconds of the Rail-car Station."

The man at the other end of the comms-unit seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"I'm speaking now as a friend and fellow pupil of your father for many years, Karma. To call my sister's squadron out—what's going on?"

"A high priority emergency. Two individuals capable of using at least A-class level magic."

"Who are we up against?" Zelos's tone was asking for more, but Karma maintained her professional ambiguity. She replied in a manner that was simple and vague, yet wholly communicative of the situation.

"The enemy."

 **. . .**

Rayven could hear a commotion taking place outside, on the streets, but this was nothing new. Valoria City, being the capital of Valoran and the centre of all League activities, was a place in which conflicts between anyone and _anything_ were a norm. Both she and Ekko had considered this factor before moving to the city in order to live closer to the Arena. They had used their winnings from their past League matches to purchase this modest but comfortable town-house.

As she washed the dishes from the meal they had just finished for dinner, she felt a cold chill wash over her body like a wave of dark ocean water. Alarmed, she dropped the plate into the sink. _This_ — _this feeling,_ was not normal. A rapid thumping that followed told her Ekko was running full speed down the stairs. A few moments, he popped by the entrance to the kitchen.

"Rosalyn." His expression spoke everything that needed to be understood.

"I'll be right there." She hurriedly rinsed off the remainder of the soaped dishes with water and then just left them sitting in the sink. Grabbing a black cloak that sat neatly folded on one of the chairs, Rosalyn swiftly strode to the hallway leading to the front door. With Ekko following closely behind her, she threw the cloak over her shoulders and made sure it covered every part of her body. As soon as it did, its texture rippled and began to shift, creating patterned creases across the entire cloak. Rosalyn shook her cloak once and the rippling texture merged with the creases it created; within an instant, the cloak seemed to be made entirely of meticulously woven overlapping black feathers. The feathers of a raven.

Throwing the door wide open, Rosalyn took a deep breath as if channeling some form of innate mantra. As she did so, a majority of the cloak split down the center of Rosalyn's back and morphed into large wings, while the rest of the feathers enveloped her arms and legs. The wings flapped once in unison and then Rosalyn literally _flew_ out. Curving upwards and soaring into the grey skies. Ekko tried to follow as close behind as he could on foot, climbing to the roofs in a few seconds, and leaping from roof to roof to keep up with his partner.

As Rosalyn soared higher, she spotted a small, feminine figure standing on a nearby rooftop. It was Karma. She headed towards the Order of the Lotus's Commander-in-Chief.

"Commander-in-Chief. What happened?" Rosalyn landed beside the young lady, her thick Raven cloak shrinking into that of a thin, hooded cape. It felt weird to think of Karma as a _young lady,_ given that her title was 'Commander-in-Chief' to most of the people who knew her.

Instead of answering her question straight away, Karma stared at her in befuddlement.

"Did . . . did you just land . . . did you just fly here?"

Rosalyn was not completely sure but she had a feeling that Karma's current expression was a rare one. A hint of smugness hit her but she brushed it away, preferring the cold emptiness.

"Yeah, it's this cloak I'm wearing."

"Did you make it yourself or . . . did you buy it?" Karma felt foolish for saying the last bit. _Of course it wasn't bought. I don't know a single tailor in all of Ionia, the center of all magics and the home of organic magic, who could make such a cloak and even if there were such a person, they wouldn't simply sell it off to anyone._

"A man—a man gave it to me as a gift when I was a child."

"Hmm, I see." The Commander could sense that the statement was true, but for some particular reason, was missing a key factor. However, she brushed the thought aside as Ekko climbed up onto the roof to join them.

"What's up?" He asked with eyes wide. "Did I miss anything?"

Karma chuckled. "You both missed it. Two suspicious individuals heading towards the Valoria City Rail-car Station passed by just as I was about to return to Ionia. I attempted to apprehend them for interrogative purposes but one of them used intimidation magic. Dark magic. He caught me off guard and they both escaped, though, how they escaped, I still have yet to figure out."

"Someone caught you off guard?" Rosalyn asked with wonder. "According to the stories I've heard about you, _Commander-in-chief_ , you're quite the fierce opponent. One of the 132 top-tier, legendary champions—considered an X-Class powerhouse when threatened—and on top of that, a champion of the Five Kings—"

Karma interrupted her to keep her from going any further.

"Oh? You seem to possess quite a lot of information. Then again, having worked alongside with Kaleb, who was, might I specify, on par with me in terms of combative capabilities, you must be at least quite capable yourself."

Rosalyn scoffed at the mention of her dead acquaintance.

"I think you're overestimating your brother, Commander."

When Karma looked at her with a surprised look on her face, Rosalyn shrugged.

"I did some digging of my own. Found out you were related to him. Though I must note: you look nothing like Kaleb. Or rather—he looks nothing like you."

"Regardless—we have reason to believe that the two suspicious individuals were connected to the incident a month ago." Karma swiftly changed the topic.

"What do you mean?" asked Ekko.

"I mean, we have reasons to believe that they might be the perpetrators, or perhaps two of many perpetrators—we're not sure how large this plot is—that were responsible for the thievery of Kaleb's deceased body."

At this, Rosalyn suddenly choked on her own spit.

"Rosalyn—oh my goodness—are you alright?" Ekko was by her side at once, supporting her by the shoulders.

"Yeah—uh—just feeling a bit—sick, er—faint."

"I thought you didn't care about Kaleb." Karma was starting to question Rosalyn's true thoughts.

"I don't." said Rosalyn weakly. "I've just been ill the past few days, that's all it is."

It took all of her mental energy to maintain an expressionless face but on the inside, her heart was churning with a river of conflicted emotions.

 _I don't understand, Zach. Why are you in Valoria City? What are you trying to pull here?_

Rosalyn covered her mouth with her hand. She felt as if she were about to vomit.

 _Are you that insistently against my competing in the League? Against my . . . my quest for vengeance? To go as far as this . . . conspiring with others to hinder my efforts—that's below you—_

Rosalyn collapsed into a fetal position, hugging her knees.

"Are you sure you don't care?" Karma questioned her again.

 _Of course I care!_

 _Of course I do . . ._

"No. I don't. I'm sure of it." Rosalyn forced out, but as she did so, a memory surfaced.

She remembered the warning.

" _This specific power that you've drawn from the Pool of Dreams — it requires the individual to sacrifice all of those he/she cares about. In other words, you're going to lose everyone you love."_

" _Hmph, and that's why I told you, I'm quite lucky to have drawn such a good deal. I don't have anyone I care about."_

A sharp pain struck her temples as she recalled the next phrase.

" _Somewhere along the way, girl, you will find someone, or some people you care about. And you'll regret it because you know you'll eventually lose them."_

She was a fool and but she couldn't admit it. The phrases flooded back to her.

" _You will lose those you care about."_

The sharp pain struck again. She fell loose from her fetal position, tumbling down the slant of the roof and falling three stories down. Fortunately, she collided into the powerlines that stretched in front of the town-houses half way down towards the ground, which slowed her fall. She landed, sprawled across the uneven stone road.

"Rosalyn!" Ekko yelled without care for using her real name before Karma.

Rosalyn could hear his footsteps, slapping against the road, feel the thumping on the ground. Yet, the phrases flooded back to her, overwhelming all her other senses.

" _They're just acquaintances, individuals who happen to share the same goals as I do. Nothing more, nothing less."_

They kept flooding back. _Stop it—I don't need this—I don't want to remember—_ Rosalyn pleaded vainly.

" _Nothing will touch this heart of mine. No one will be able to make it warm."_

They memories refused to stop. Eventually, the pain was so intense that in one sudden moment, all she could see was an immense white space. Her eyes hurt from the brightness of the pure white.

 _Haha. It was laughable._

The physical pain was almost liberating.

Her heart rate was returning to normal. Her breathing steadied.

"Rosalyn! Rosalyn, can you hear me?"

It was Ekko's voice. Her senses—they were returning.

 _I'm fine, you fool._ She pictured herself scoffing at the boy. It almost made her happy.

"We're going to take you to the Valoria City hospital, Rayven."

That was Karma. _Even the Commander-in-Chief. Hehehe. I must be dreaming._

"Stay alive, Rosalyn—stay alive . . ."

 **. . .**

 _ **One year ago . . .**_

As shots of gunfire littered the battlefield with dead bodies, it was becoming increasingly difficult to navigate back to the main road, especially through the scattered forestry of tall trees. A strange, thick mist was beginning to settle, making it difficult to discern an enemy from an ally.

Rosalyn had just made it down from the hidden cavern located near the top of the Ionian mountain from the Pool of Dreams and suddenly found herself in the midst of a battle between the invading Noxian soldiers and the defending Ionian warriors. It was another raid-type attack from Noxus, which was happening more and more often in the past year.

What surprised her was how far the Noxian soldiers managed to make it from the Ionian border. The mountain area was quite a significant distance from the border.

Nevertheless, it was a perfect opportunity for her to test out her new abilities. The words came to her naturally.

" _Spatium Negativus." Negative Space._

An invisible hemisphere expanded with Rosalyn as its epicenter. A black-and-white image rushed into her head—a birds-eye view of everything within a 100 metre radius of her. She instantly knew where every individual was. Friend and foe. The Noxian soldiers—their weapons left a magic signature that was a darker green than the Ionian signatures.

"Scum of the earth." Rosalyn said under her breath as rage filled her veins. She channeled this rage.

" _Deconstruction."_

This ability allowed her to target every enemy within the invisible hemisphere and disassemble magical signatures, destroying their ability to use their weapons driven by dark magic. It also caused the weapons to combust in the process, effectively killing most of the Noxian soldiers from the collective explosions.

"What was that?" an Ionian soldier shouted.

"Our enemies! A majority of their force has been wiped out, Captain! The rest of them are retreating!"

"Devote half of our remaining forces to begin a chase. Leave the other half to examine and analyze the outcome of the battle."

"Yes, sir!"

 _Their voices._ Rosalyn thought smugly. _They're all scared. As expected of these humans._

"Commander! Commander Malekai has arrived! Salute!" the Captain shouted abruptly.

 _A Commander of the Order?! I don't know if I can take one on yet. Let's get a closer look first._

A tall man dressed in purple robes with a black kimono overtop stepped out of a large dark-purple rectangle that had materialized out of thin air. She could only see his backside from the direction he was facing.

 _A Gate? That's at least S-Class magic—_

"I can _see_ you, little girl." The man turned around and looked straight at Rosalyn. Or rather, she could tell that he was looking at where she was hiding—behind a large tree 25 meters from his position—using her _Negative Space_.

 _That's ridiculous—he detected me without breaking a sweat even with the concealment spell I had cast over myself!_

"Commander—?!" The Captain was just as surprised as Rosalyn.

"Don't make any sudden movements, little girl. Step out from behind that tree. Slowly." Commander Malekai ordered coldly. The way he said it—danger was emanating from each word. This was definitely someone she could not fight with her new abilities. She scarcely had any time to test them out and here she was, thrown into the lion's pit.

 _I might be able to run for it._ Rosalyn glanced around her, looking for a clear path out of the scattered forestry. _Ugh. I'm too deep into the forest. I'm not even sure which way is the right way to run._

"Don't even think about it, little girl. I will restrain you without holding back if you try to run." The man threatened.

Hesitating but left with no other choice, Rosalyn stepped out from behind the tree.

"Now you will answer my questions from where you stand. Who are you? Which faction do you belong to? And what is your purpose here?"

"I have no intention of answering any of those questions." Rosalyn said defiantly, but her hands shook with fear. She was sure of it—this man was willing to kill, or at least maim, to get results.

 _If only I knew how to fully utilize these new abilities._ Rosalyn was beginning to regret the notion of testing her newfound powers on the battlefield. She should've been more patient. Waited for an opportunity where the risk of being discovered was at its lowest.

"Hmm, a defiant little girl we have here . . . I can smell the fear of your skin. You can't fool me. And I think you can sense what I am capable of, what I will do to you if you do not do as I say."

"I won't—" Rosalyn began, but the man took a step towards her and gave her a twisted smile.

"—answer my questions?" He finished for her. "I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken, girl."

He put his hands together and when he spread them apart, a weapon materialized between the space he created with his palms. It was a Hextech rifle—a custom model.

"It isn't as powerful as a Hextech Gunblade but it's five times as accurate. I wouldn't take my chances."

His finger rested on the trigger.

"You've made a grave mistake girl." The Commander said as he aimed and fired at her. Rosalyn barely had enough time to react as the Hextech projectile flew towards her. Swerving to one side, the projectile grazed her right leg and hit the ground behind her, exploding in a blast of colourful shrapnel. It was an explosive shell. She managed to dodge most of the blast but as she prepared herself for the next shot, she winced in pain. Several pieces of shrapnel had lodged themselves right below her shoulders. Luckily, the wounds were not too deep, but they would slow her down significantly.

 _I might not be able to dodge the next shell,_ she realized. _But I have no choice. It's not my time to die yet._

As Malekai casually reloaded the weapon, an idea popped into the girl's head.

 _I don't have to dodge the shells._

The Commander placed his finger on the trigger again.

"You know you can't dodge the next projectile, little girl." he confirmed for her.

"I know." Rosalyn said as her breathing became more ragged.

"So be it." The Commander closed his eyes in disappointment and pressed the trigger.

" _Barrier!"_ Rosalyn yelled, stretching out her hands, and true to its name, the protective spell instantly created a translucent, yellow barrier around her.

As the projectile collided with the barrier, it exploded on impact. But this time, the barrier took the brunt of the explosion and the shrapnel bounced off harmlessly. As the colourful flames surrounding her subsided, her barrier dissipated and the last of the explosive energy seared the flesh off her palms. Falling backwards, she cried out, her hands shaking violently, unable to cope with the sudden, extremely agonizing burn. When she hit the ground, she felt her stomach lurch before she coughed up blood. Apparently, the impact had hit her more severely than she had realized.

 _My barrier—it wasn't enough?_

The frustration and fatigue were steadily eating at her mental fortitude.

"Impressive!" Malekai seemed amused. "I did not foresee your ability to use Summoner Spells."

He reloaded his Hextech rifle.

"But this—this will be the end of it. As merciful as I am, you have another chance to amend for your mistakes. I'm giving you three seconds to surrender yourself."

Before she could answer, the space in front of her distorted and in a blur, a boy emerged out of nowhere. His hair was a mess, his light blue, long-sleeved shirt wrinkled and too small for him. He was also wearing tight black pants. When he lifted his arms up in the air, his midriff and lower back was in clear view. She couldn't catch a clear view of his face though as he had his back to her.

"Stop! Malekai, she's not an enemy!" the boy yelled.

"Reiyver? What the hell are you doing here?" The Commander's cold demeanor broke into a hot fury. It was obvious the two didn't have the greatest history together.

"I'm telling you, you're the one making a mistake," The boy insisted. "She's Ionian—she's one of us."

"Well would you then care to explain why I'm detecting significant amounts of dark magic signatures radiating from her?"

"I'll explain later, just leave her to me."

"Hey, I'm not just gonna let you take me." Rosalyn backed away from the boy but he reacted quicker than she thought he would, whipping around and stepping towards her. To her shock, instead of aggressively attacking or restraining her, he gently caressed her left cheek with one hand.

" _Sleep."_ He whispered and all of a sudden, Rosalyn grew drowsy. Her vision swam and she fell to her knees. Shaking her head roughly and blinking as fast as she could, she tried to regain focus but whatever spell he had cast over her was stronger than she could handle at the moment.

 _Strange human,_ she thought.

"I don't need your help!" She mumbled stubbornly

"Shh—just keep still for a while will you?" the boy told her.

Sitting on her heels, she managed to maintain enough focus to understand most of the interaction between the boy, Reiyver, and the furious Commander.

"You're committing a capital crime, Reiyver. This is an act of betrayal against your own nation."

"I'm telling you, this girl is innocent of any danger."

"I told you, I don't need your help!" Rosalyn tried standing up but stumbled forward. Before she could face-plant into the ground, to her annoyance, the boy caught her in his arms.

"Watch as the dog bites at his master's hands, Reiyver. That girl will backstab you the moment you let your guard down. That's what dealing with dark magic does to you. It makes you into a vessel for corruption." The Commander sneered derisively.

"I'll take care of it." The boy insisted again. He leaned Rosalyn against the base of the tree she was hiding behind.

"You're naïve, Reiyver. You think I won't shoot you to get to that creature?"

"She's not a creature. She's as human as either one of us."

Rosalyn glared at the boy the best she could in her condition. "Don't compare me with you! I'm nothing like you dirty humans."

"Hah! Even she denies her own humanity. Now, if you keep defending that creature of darkness, I _will_ shoot you. The Grandmaster will understand when I explain to him your traitorous actions. The witnesses that stand behind me are there to prove it."

"Stand down Malekai. You're a Commander; you know many other better ways to resolve such an issue."

"Stand aside, Reiyver. Move—hey, what are you doing?!"

The boy had removed the suffocating black cloak around Rosalyn and tied it around his waist. Underneath, she was wearing what appeared to be a black sleeveless summer dress that went down to her knees to provide more mobility.

"Reiyver! If you take one more step in assisting the girl, I'm going to blast a hole through your stomach." Malekai raised the Hextech rifle up, aiming right below the boy's chest.

"Let go of me—!" Rosalyn beat her fists weakly against the boy's chest.

However, the boy paid no heed as he wrapped a half-conscious Rosalyn's arms around his neck and used his palms to support her legs, carrying her on his back. As he started to take a few steps back cautiously, Malekai flipped a switch on the backside of his firearm.

"You take me too lightly." He said with disdain, then fired without hesitation.

In the small time it took for the Hextech projectile to reach him from the Commander's rifle, he side-stepped faster than either of them could blink in an attempt to prevent the projectile from piercing through him then hitting Rosalyn. Nonetheless, the weapon's accuracy was as true as the Commander had claimed and it pierced his side. One moment he was whole, and the next, he stumbled back from the force of the projectile that blew a hole in his side. As blood gushed out of the deep wound, the boy struggled to stand up and managed to continue walking away from Malekai through sheer willpower.

He coughed up blood. "Heh, you actually—shot me. In t-the time that you take to reload that rifle, I will have escaped with the girl. So don't bother."

Indeed, as fast as Malekai had reloaded the weapon, the boy vanished from the scene with the girl. To the Captain and the remaining soldiers' eyes, it seemed as if he had simply blurred out of existence.

"Damned boy." The Commander swore under his breath. He gestured for his men to reorganize themselves. "Listen up! We're returning to Headquarters and reporting every detail of the defensive mission."

"Commander, what about the two that escaped?" the Captain asked nervously.

"Hmph. I will personally report the matter to the Grandmaster. He will decide the fate of that boy."

"There will be no such necessity," a lady's voice spoke out from behind the Commander. Malekai searched for the source of the voice and found himself face to face with a tall youthful-looking girl who looked to be about the same age as Reivyer.

"Commander-in-Chief Karma!" the Captain bowed in respect. "What brings you here?"

"News of today's events have already reached my father's ears. He has decided to trust in Kaleb's judgement in terms of dealing with the mysterious girl."

"What?!" Malekai was outraged. "The arrogant boy cannot always get his way—the Grandmaster's should not be softening his judgement even if Kaleb is his son."

"Are you challenging both mine _and_ the Grandmaster's orders?"

"Since when did this become an order?" the man asked spitefully.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear enough when I stated there was no such necessity? My apologies. Let me make it clear for you then. _It is an ORDER._ "

Karma used her height to her advantage, challenging Malekai's fierce gaze with her own cold stare. As she expected, the man could hold her stare for no longer than a few seconds before averting his eyes and swinging around, walking the other way in contempt.

"Alright, recall your men, Captain. There is no need to chase the Noxians any longer. We will return to Headquarters and report the events of today's defensive actions, as Commander Malekai has ordered." She said as she tried to give the spiteful man some credit.

She stood expressionless, with her hands behind her back, taking an observant stance as the Ionian soldiers ran about, counting bodies and scavenging unused equipment. Despite her seemingly calm poise, she had other, more disturbing thoughts on her mind.

 _What are you thinking, Kaleb? I rushed over here as soon as I received your emergency transmission, but are you really doing the right thing? I really hope you are._

For just a split second, Karma's eyes betrayed a look of intense worry, but as soon as it revealed itself, it was gone.

An image of Kaleb and his mischievous smile entered her head for no apparent reason but it relaxed her, reassuring her of Kaleb's powerful drive for righteousness.

 _He sees the light in people that even father cannot see and brings it out of the darkness. That is his true gift. And that is what will shine brightest in his most perilous time of need._ Karma knew this from the many years she spent with Kaleb. From the years she spent falling in love with him to the more recent years she spent still deeply caring for him, but respecting his decision.

Little did she know—that light was currently shining brighter than it had ever before.

 **. . .**

 _ **An unknown time after Rosalyn's escape from Malekai . . .**_

The last thing he remembered was treating the girl's wounds before succumbing to his own. He had brought her to the Omikayalan, the sacred grove of Ionia, intending to carry her all the way to where the God-Willow once stood. At the base of the God-Willow's resting place was an oasis of pure nature magic which had highly effective healing properties. Though the God-Willow was gone, destroyed by a tribe of Freljordians centuries ago, the _Chimeric Beings_ —half-human, half-animal— still protected the secret area within the grove, mercilessly cutting down any unwelcome trespassers. Luckily, when he was a child, he had wandered into the Omikalayan, unaware of its dangerous protectors, and through his innocence, befriended the _Chimeric Beings._ He was one of the only, if not the only individual in all of Runeterra who could pass through without trouble.

He remembered getting halfway to his intended destination before collapsing from exertion. Fighting against the waves of exhaustion and numbing pain, he gathered the herbs necessary for a healing salve, mashed them into a thorough mixture, and removed the top half of the girl's dress, leaving her undergarment on. He somehow found the energy to push through the entire process of applying the salve and wrapping the girl's wounds with long strips of gauze (he always kept a spare roll by his side).

Despite remembering all this, he could not remember when he actually fell unconscious.

 _Then again, nobody ever does remember the exact instance they fall into deep slumber._

Kaleb could feel his consciousness slowly surface. It was like a bubble of air rising from the bottom of a lake. It had been a while since he felt so relaxed. Perhaps he didn't realize how much stress he had put on his body in the recent months that he spent training his successor as leader of the Special-Ops. Agent Irelia had improved significantly quicker than he anticipated, forcing to him to increase the intensity of her training at an outstanding rate.

The feeling first returned to his back. He was lying on top of something soft and fluffy.

 _Is that Moss . . .?_

His arms felt as heavy as lead but he managed to move them and rest them on his stomach. Surprised by what he felt, Kaleb looked down at where his wound should've been. He wasn't sure if it was just his hazy vision that deceived him but his abdomen was bandaged up quite nicely with white gauze. He could feel a cool, soothing paste-like texture underneath the bandages, and his wound no longer hurt. Someone had applied an herbal salve to the hole burned into his side.

It was difficult for him to blink as his eyelids seemed to have lost their flexibility, but the more he moved his eyes, the easier it became. Blinking the blurriness away, he shifted his head, attempting to loosen his shoulders and look around but found that his neck was too stiff. He could only move his eyes and was met with soft, green grass caressing either sides of his face.

A figure loomed over him.

"Stay still. You've lost a lot of blood." It said.

 _Was it the girl? But that was impossible. She should still be unconscious—_

"I'm going to clean your wound again and re-apply the salve. Try to stay still for me."

Yeah—it was definitely a girl's voice. However, it was not the cold, harsh tone that had rebuked his offers to protect her from Malekai, but a warm, tender voice of serenity. He watched this girl with fascination as she kneeled down beside him, as her hands gently removed the bandages, unwrapping them as carefully as possible, and as her fine fingers delicately danced across his skin, spreading the fresh salve around the wound as evenly as possible.

Her touch sent pleasant tingles all over the surface of his skin. This was the touch of an angel, not the claws of a cornered animal. This girl was definitely not the girl he rescued from the forest— _right?_ As she treated his wound, her long black hair fell gracefully down the side of her face, brushing against his bare chest.

"Y-you . . . removed . . . my shirt?" the words tumbled clumsily out of his mouth. It was clear that he had not regained his full capacity for speech yet.

"Well, you treated my wounds the same way and you were unfazed, so you should expect the same from me. I'm not bothered by a little baring of the skin." The girl took his hand in her's and held it firmly. "Now save your breath and try to bear the pain."

"W-wh-y?" his voice broke even as he whispered.

"My _negative space_ ability tells me there's a small piece of shrapnel still stuck deep in your wound. I can't fully seal the wound until I get it out or you'll risk getting an infection. I'm going to try pulling it out telekinetically so as to avoid opening any new wounds. It's still going to hurt though. Here I go."

The girl positioned her other hand an inch above the wound and closed her eyes, using _negative space_ to search meticulously through the layers of Kaleb's flesh and muscle until she found the faint magic pulse of Hextech shrapnel. Once she focused in on the exact location, she tensed her hand and slowly lifted her hand little by little. Her fingers twitched individually every once in a while, navigating the shrapnel through the original path of flesh and blood opened by the projectile entering Kaleb's body.

True to her words, the operation was quite unbearably painful. As the piece of shrapnel was occasionally caught in the pockets of his muscles, it tugged at his flesh, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and inhale sharply. The girl squeezed his hand lightly to comfort him. Finally, with one last pull, the piece of shrapnel exited the wound. She then applied one last layer of the herbal salve and sealed the wound again with fresh bandages, placing one hand on his back, supporting and slowly helping his back arch up in order to wrap the gauze all the way around his body.

She smiled kindly at him before standing up again.

 _This cannot be the same person as the one on the battlefield. I mean, she's—_

He was certain of it.

"— _beautiful."_ He whispered out loud. No matter how much he tried to convince himself of the contrary, it _was_ the girl from the forest.

"Sorry, did you say something?" the girl tilted her head, but Kaleb was out of breath again.

"Alright then," she said as she ruffled her black dress.

"I brought you something."

The girl turned around and walked a few paces away, then bent down to pick something up from the grass. She returned to his side with what looked like a few wet, thin brown pieces of a kelp-like herb. Tearing a piece in half, she brought one half to his lips.

"This is the dried bark from an Omikayalan sapling. It'll help you heal quicker than a herb would. I dipped the pieces in water to allow for easier digestion. Now, eat."

He opened his mouth and she slipped the half-piece into it, careful not to choke him. Kaleb closed his mouth, then opened it again, and closed it vainly.

"Chew." The girl guided him.

He tried using his teeth to soften the thin piece of bark and although it had already been soaked in water, it was still tough. Scrunching his eyebrows from the effort, he bit down as hard as he could, but the bark remained in one piece. Giving up, he opened his mouth and the piece fell onto his chest.

 _I'm sorry, I can't —_ Kaleb thought sadly and closed his eyes. Perhaps he should simply sleep for the time being.

To his relief, the girl did not seem disappointed nor discouraged. She took the bark, put it in her own mouth and chewed it until it was pulp. Then, without hesitation, she bent over, leaning in close to his face and placed her mouth against his. Locking her lips against Kaleb's, she fed the mashed bark into his mouth. Her audacity took him by complete surprise and he was, for a moment, jolted awake. Instinctively, he tried to raise his hand and stop her but after a moment of uncertainty, he lay his hand back down to his side. The girl's lips lingered for a moment before she sat up again.

"You have to eat." The girl emphasized. She did not show any sign of embarrassment whatsoever, as if mouth-feeding Kaleb was the next-most natural solution to getting him to eat.

Nevertheless, the girl's method worked; the half-piece was now easier to chew and he swallowed the mashed bark without any difficulty. Seeing this as progress, she repeated the process: first chewing the Omikayalan bark herself, then feeding it to him mouth-to-mouth. On the third cycle, the girl was still chewing the bark when she paused, raising her eyebrows in wonder of what she saw before her. Despite the boy's closed eyes, tears were streaming out from beneath his eyelids. Dismissing her thoughts, she mouth-fed him the last of the bark she had collected.

The tears had stopped flowing but Kaleb's heart remained engulfed in passionate captivation. This girl held more darkness than he had ever seen in a person but her light still shone brightest out of all he had ever come across. He had never been so deeply moved. Swallowing the last of the mashed bark, he opened his eyes, already feeling slightly rejuvenated.

"How did you know to bring me here—to the God-Willow's resting place?"

"The Green Father's little friends brought me here. When I left to collect the herbs I needed to make the same salve you made for me, The Green Father visited you himself and breathed life into your lifeless body. He doesn't really show himself before people openly." The girl explained.

"The Green Father?"

"They call him Bramblefoot. Ivern Bramblefoot. Successor of the God-Willow and creator of the Arena."

"He created the Arena? Like, _the_ World-class Arena they use in the League's Challenger Series?" Kaleb tried sitting up but moved too quickly and exerted too much energy, causing him to fall back onto his moss bed. The girl placed a hand on his chest lightly, telling him to stay lying down. His heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah. That Arena." She answered. "Oh and he's also known by some as 'The Watcher who Gives.'

"He's a Watcher? I've never heard of him."

"Sadly, that name has been stolen from him by another. 'The Watcher who Takes'. At least that's what the legends say."

"Huh. That's interesting. Well . . . I know I was the one who brought you to the Omikayalan initially . . . but I don't exactly know who you are."

"My name is Rosalyn. Thank you for saving my life."

"Wow—that's quite a way to introduce yourself," Kaleb smiled feebly. "I'm Kaleb Reiyver. Thank you for saving mine."

* * *

 **"His heart skipped a beat."**

 **Yeah, mine did too when I wrote that part. WHO SAYS A WRITER CAN'T BE AS INTO THE STORY AS THE READERS AND THE CHARACTERS ARE. We're starting to see the backstories behind all the characters' relationships with one another so get ready for the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HYPE TRAIN.**

 **Anyways, if you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far, be sure to Follow the fanfic, and if you LOVED IT, be sure to Favorite it! Let me know your thoughts below in the Comments/Review section!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	12. Chapter 11: Cold Truth

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 11**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: A lot of stuff gets cleared up in this chapter so I don't really want to waste too much of your time rambling on about my thoughts. I did split the chapter up into two PARTS again, just so the break in the flow of the story is more natural. Anyways, read to your heart's content!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Cold Truth/ the First Watcher**

 **PART 1**

In small, dimly-lit circular room made of stone walls, stone floors and stone ceilings, two figures stood side-by-side, examining their prisoner. Their prisoner was unconscious, suspended in mid-air by green tendrils of _binding magic_. One of them, an older man, pointed at the prisoner.

"Do you sense it, Karma?" he asked.

"I-I can feel traces of a foreign energy. It's not like Mantra, which calls for the absolute focus of the practitioner accompanied by that individual's degree of purity in their intentions. This is . . . darker."

"Mmm, good. This foreign energy you sense around Malekai is from a place called the Void."

"The Void? I've only ever thought of it as a theoretical dimension used to explain scientific anomalies, Father."

"There's a reason why they call it the _Curse of the Void_. The Void is a dimension that cannot be called a true dimension in itself. It is the emptiness in which hopes and dreams are thrown away and left to rot. Eventually, all this accumulated negative energy with no place to go took a physical form and thus, the emptiness became a space in which one could now physically occupy."

"So essentially, you're saying that the victims of the _Curse_ were none other than people who were touched by this emptiness? That doesn't seem right to me." Karma paced the floor.

"No, Karma. I'm saying that the victims of the _Curse_ were all exposed to the Void through what you would call a dimensional leak. Because it was unintentionally created, it was susceptible to many flaws. I initially theorized that most victims accidentally found themselves upon such leaks, and didn't even realize it themselves until it was too late. The empty, negative energy eats at the soul and stains the heart of those who struggle against it. The stronger you are, the more you are inclined to struggle and thus, the Champions suffered the most."

"Then Malekai's negative emotions were amplified by this _Curse?_ "

"No, but it would be a lie to say they weren't affected by the _Curse_ either. I suspect that he intentionally searched for such energy in order to grow in power, thus he has gained such abilities as displayed against Kaleb but suffers from no obvious negative side-effects."

" _Intentionally searched?_ Research of foreign magics without the consent of a higher authority such as the Order or the League is against our law isn't it?" Karma shook her head disapprovingly.

"Yes, indeed. That is true." The Grandmaster chuckled.

"What a hypocrite," scoffed Karma. "And he was spewing all that nonsense about betrayal."

The Grandmaster shrugged. "What a shame. He was quite the brilliant Commander too."

"Albeit lacking in emotional indifference when carrying out important tasks. His arrogance was his downfall." Karma added.

"Fair enough."

"It still seems a far fetch to say that individuals simply happened upon a leak in the dimensional barrier between the Void and Runeterra though." Karma tapped her chin, as if waiting for an answer.

"Which is why I now believe in a different theory. It is the theory that an extradimensional entity is responsible for those leaks—that such an entity, though with unknown ulterior motives, opened those leaks near powerful Champions who were emotionally challenged at the time. Those leaks were targeted, not accidental."

"Are we talking about spirits now? Or ghosts?" Karma gave her father a funny look, but Grandmaster Rivello did not smile.

"Have you ever heard of the Watchers?"

 **. . .**

"So this is it huh? This is Freljord."

Kaleb gazed at the snowy, white expanse that stretched for miles on end. The small, run-down rail-car station seemed to be the only existing proof of civilization within the next 50 miles. In every direction that the boy looked, he was greeted by the same sight: a few scattered coniferous trees in the distance grouped together in little modest patches.

"I can't see a single sign of a living soul for as far as I can see," He complained.

"To be honest with you, I didn't expect the Piltover Express to take us this far into the outlands. We should be thankful." Zachariah replied.

"So, where can we find this person—wait who _exactly_ is this person?"

"She lives in the South. The Piltover Express rail-car we took from Valoria City follows a line that pierces edge of the East of Freljord. We'll find her if we walk against the Freljord wind. The wind will guide us to our destination—without it, all sense of direction would cease to exist."

"Doesn't the wind change directions?" Kaleb felt like he was asking a stupid question, though he couldn't exactly pinpoint the source of its stupidity.

"Not here," Zachariah shook his head. "Not in Freljord. There is a supernatural disaster, north-most of this land, called the Gelid Vortex. It is a powerful, unceasing super-storm that consists of thousands of independent blizzards condensed in one area. Luckily it is surrounded by mountains, which keeps it confined to its place, but it also is the cause of a weather phenomenon known to most of Freljord's inhabitants as the Universal Current. Because the Gelid Vortex is confined to the mountain ranges, it sucks in all the air around it so that all wind currents flow towards and revolve around its epicenter."

"Oh, I see. If we travel against the direction of the wind, we will be able to reach the South regardless of where we are in Freljord."

"Correct." Zachariah nodded.

"Since we're going south though—does that mean we're going to Frostheld?"

"Not exactly. We will have to pay Queen Ashe, King Tryndamere, and their tribes a visit at the capital but the person we're looking for prefers to live nearer to the mountains. Of course, she's been invited by the royal family of Avarosa to live within the capital but because of her _unique_ abilities, she would rather not take the risk."

"You sound like you know this place well—have you been here before?"

"Once." Zachariah raised his hand into the air to feel the direction of the wind.

"Why the hell would you come to such a cold, barren place?" Kaleb asked.

"To find the one known as the First Watcher."

 **. . .**

"The Watchers?" Karma cleared her throat. "As in, ones from the stories that Kaleb always seemed to be fascinated with? How did he describe them again—right— _the Ancient deities who guided humanity in its endeavours when it was still in its infant days_?"

"That's the common perception of it," the Grandmaster said. "But the oldest Ionian texts speak of a primeval race of mythical humanoid beasts hailing from the depths of Freljord that were one of the first pioneers of magic. They took many different forms but every single one of them shared three distinct features. The first feature was that they each had only one eye—like a cyclops—but which was capable of incredible feats. A Watcher's Eye was how they distinguished one identity from another because each Eye held a different ability. One was rumored to be able to see the future, another, capable of complete atomic deconstruction and reconstruction, and even another Eye, rumored to possess the ability to control life and death."

"And the other two features? Do they hold great power as well?" Karma was almost afraid find out.

"I'm not so sure about any actual powers that they hold aside from their aesthetic nature, but it is said that every one of original Watchers were adorned with a pair of long horns made of True Ice and had an unusually protruding head. All of them also had at least one part of their body covered in thick white fur, most likely an adaptive biological mechanism to the freezing temperatures of the Freljord."

Though she was physically peering at Malekai's unmoving body, Karma's mind wandered elsewhere.

 _Original Watchers? Does that mean—?_

"You mentioned _Original Watchers._ Does that mean they have descendants?" Karma wondered out loud, forgetting that her father was right beside her.

"It was not written in the texts whether the Watchers were capable of procreation." The Grandmaster's clear voice echoed around the chamber, startling Karma. "After all, they were almost as if gods before the frailty of humanity. I'm sure whether they had children or not was not a primary concern of the first historians who wrote about the Watchers."

"Oh . . ." Karma drifted off, embarrassed by her seemingly worthless question.

"It's not a stupid question, Karma," The Grandmaster reassured her, as if reading her mind. "Despite the lack of mention of the Watcher's procreative abilities, the historians _did_ write about how it was possible that the Watchers' Eyes were hereditary. In other words, even if one of the original Watchers somehow died, their Eye would remain as an article of magic and similar to matter, magic cannot be destroyed, only passed on. However, because each individual Eye was such an inconceivably powerful vessel of magic, they developed their own conscience—or rather, as the ancient historians believed, the Eye would preserve the conscience and spirit of the deceased Original Watcher. Unwilling to exist without a purpose, the Eye would choose an individual it deemed worthy of its power and thus, carry on the Watcher's legacy."

"So, say all or most of these _original_ Watchers actually died out . . . are there new, descendant Watchers currently existing amongst us?" Karma asked.

"It's possible. Though if they were, they are being quite careful as to not meddle with human affairs. A being with so much power would find it difficult to communicate with the same level of understanding as a typical human like you or I." Karma's father almost sounded humbled.

"We're not _typical_ humans though," Karma raised her eyebrows. "I'd say we were worthy of at least a little communicative attention from the Watchers—aren't we?"

The Grandmaster stroked his beard. "Perhaps it would be better that I rephrase my previous statement. If these new Watchers truly exist, then the ones with good intentions would find it unnecessary to intervene in our lives when we are perfectly capable of handling it ourselves, and the ones with bad intentions would find it troublesome if we discovered their existence and foiled their plans."

Karma heaved a sigh of defeat. "As usual, you always manage to make sense of even the most nonsensical things, father."

The old man smiled. "Great knowledge can be gained with effort and talent, but great wisdom can only be earned with experience. And being your father, Karma, I'd say I've lived for far longer and experienced much more than you have."

"There you go again with your wise words." Karma sighed.

"Alas, if a Watcher was truly responsible for opening breaches from the Void and used its negative energy to cast the _Curse_ on his victims, then he would have to have some sort of motive behind it. Watchers never act without reason." The Grandmaster crossed his arms. "It would also be reasonable to assume that Malekai had, at one point, come into contact with this Watcher. Ironically, breaches to the Void are incredibly hard to find on purpose despite the Void's dimensional instability so one would have to be led there. Once they reached a close enough distance to absorb the negative energy, it would only be a matter of whether one wished to accept it or attempt to reject it."

"Right now these are all inferences and educated guesses that you're giving me right?" Karma's tone suddenly sounded more serious. She had finally decided to take action.

"Absolutely. We would need more solid proof if we wanted to bring a tragedy from the past back into the light of the present. I doubt many would appreciate being reminded of a problem we had already put behind us." The Grandmaster agreed.

"There is only one other person I know, who was just as obsessed with the Watchers as Kaleb was. He even did extensive research on the Watchers, which explains that one time he randomly decided to travel to Freljord."

Her father's smile disappeared.

"Ever since he vanished from the face of Runeterra four years ago, I have used all my power to try and search for him, but all my efforts were in vain. What makes you think you can find him?"

Karma gave him a confident look. "I may have helped you search for him as your son at the time, but I did not search for him as my brother. This time, I will find Zachariah and I will bring him home."

"I hope that your look of confidence is backed by an actual working plan. As my daughter, you should know not to give a father false hopes."

"I won't. This time, I may have a bit of _special_ help."

"Then may the will of Ionia be with you, my daughter. You may take whomever you need on this mission." The Grandmaster returned to observe Malekai's imprisoned body while Karma bowed and exited the chamber.

Once he was sure Karma was a safe distance away, he exhaled deeply. Opening his right palm, he lifted it up to his face. At the center of his palm, a tiny golden spark seemed to spring out, which grew into a small, dancing flame. A golden letter was clearly visible within the flame. It was the letter Z.

 _Hmm. The contract has yet to be broken. I wonder how you are faring? Are you doing well? Have you grown?_

He remained thoughtless for a minute before regret began to settle into his mind.

 _I'm sorry, Karma. There is still so much you don't know, and so much I can't tell you. When your older brother was first born into this world, you know that he contracted a severe disease. Later, I told you and Kaleb that I had found a very special doctor that helped cure Zachariah's incurable malady but that was only half the truth. The truth was that I forged a magical contract with HER. The reason why Zachariah can't return—it is because his life no longer belongs to him. The truth was that I broke the Ancient Ionian laws and conducted a secret ritual that summoned an otherworldly being. I brought that THING back into existence after it had been sealed away by the Magelords and Protectorates many millennia ago, all to save the life of a poor baby boy who didn't deserve to die._

 _That THING was the one Original that was capable of venturing beyond Freljord—it was the one Original that was deemed too dangerous to allow its legacy to be passed on._

 _I brought that thing called the Golden Watcher to the realm of Runeterra and in doing so . . ._

 _. . . I opened the first breach to the Void._

 **PART 2**

"The First Watcher?" Kaleb was immediately interested.

"Well, maybe _one_ of the First Watchers would make more sense." Zachariah corrected himself as the two young men walked with the cold winter wind beating against their faces.

"Hold on—First Watchers, as in the very first, original Watchers that came to be?" the younger boy's voice was full of excitement.

"You could say that. After I discovered the true circumstances surrounding my miraculous recovery from _Darcus Plagueis,_ I did some preliminary research and found myself upon the term 'Watcher'. They were said to be creatures that were capable of using the most wondrous forms of magic. But the 'Watchers' that I read about in modern texts and the 'Watchers' that I read about in Ancient Ionian texts had conflicting claims. The modern texts spoke of the 'Watchers' as if they were neutral, indifferent extradimensional guardians of Runeterra while the older texts spoke of them as more free-roaming spirits originating from Freljord. It is said that the force that first brought them into existence created the Gelid Vortex. So I deduced that the 'Watchers' described in the different texts were different—the old texts described the source and the modern texts described the legacy."

"So did you find anything relating to the First Watchers?"

"I did, though only stories about it. And it wasn't exactly what I was searching for."

"It?" Kaleb repeated.

"I only found stories of an outlier. A First Watcher that was unique and different from its peers. Instead of having only one Eye, it had two Eyes. It also hated fact that it was seen as a deviant of its race so it developed the ability to 'take' from others and transform in order to fit into its primeval society. The Watcher even developed the ability to take the life of others and extend its own power, which was how it was able to survive longer than the other Watchers. It was thus known as 'The Watcher who Takes'. Keep in mind that for every Watcher born with a spectacular ability in their Eye, there is another Watcher born with the power to counter the former's ability. That way, the hierarchy in their tribe was more balanced. So obviously, that particular Watcher was eventually greeted by its complete opposite—'The Watcher who Gives'. The latter was capable of giving life-energy to those who needed it. Being the envious Watcher that she is, the Watcher obviously coveted her counterpart's ability."

Kaleb interrupted. "So she tried to steal the 'Watcher who Gives', better known as the Green Father—she tried to steal his power but the unfamiliar life-energy overwhelmed her and she failed. In the process of doing so, the energy she stole entered her body and gave her a bright, golden aura. In the end, she was only able to use the Green Father's power on a much smaller scale. Moreover, the Green Father was able to further evolve and grew two eyes. This Watcher who Takes—it's Amina isn't it?"

Zachariah nodded. "I had my suspicions but I wanted to gather more evidence before I even considered telling you. But I guess you exceeded my expectations again."

"I think actually heard about it from when I first met Rosalyn. Now that I think back to that time . . . she was telling me about a 'Golden Watcher' that was her favorite. It gave me a critical hint as to the truth of Amina's identity."

"What irks me though is the Ancient texts specified that the Golden Watcher was eventually sealed away by the Magelords and Protectorates, who at the time, were unified by a common enemy. That means someone had to have intentionally unravelled the seal for Amina to have escaped."

"Intentionally unravelled the seal?" Kaleb took a thinking pose. "That means this individual or group of people had to have limited access to the Ancient Ionian Texts AND the magical competence to pull of such a feat. But even if such a person existed, why would he or she ever consider releasing Amina? As far as my impression of the Golden Watcher goes, she's unreliable and thus, uncontrollable."

"Perhaps they wanted something that only the Golden Watcher could grant? Perhaps, because Amina stole the power to give life, the culprit wanted to extend his or her lifespan? Or it could even be that—"

Kaleb raised a finger. "Wait—can her power to 'Take' away something include the ability to take away something bad?"

Zachariah nodded slowly. "Theoretically, yes. For example, the culprit might have wanted Amina to take away an illness or a curse from his or her body. There is nothing in the old texts that specifies that there has to be an equal exchange and acceptance, so Amina could take away those things but not suffer from them herself or be required to give something equally as harmful in return."

"Then . . . would it be reasonable to assume that it is also possible for her to take away death itself?"

 _Death . . . itself?_ Zachariah wondered.

Without warning, he stopped walking, causing Kaleb to stumble into him.

"Oi! Don't just randomly stop walking." Kaleb protested.

But Zachariah wasn't listening. He closed his eyes, pressing his fingers against his temples, as if trying to concentrate on something. An image flashed into his head.

 _Yellow._

 _Bright Yellow._

 _Orange._

 _Gold._

As the image became clearer, he could start to distinguish the source of each color. The yellow was the glow coming from his chest. He looked at his chest and to his surprise, he was staring at the body of an infant. Right above his stomach was a strange spiral mark which was the source of the bright yellow glow.

The orange came from the warm light of the hundreds of candles surrounding him in the room he was in. His infant body was lying on some sort of linen blanket at the center of the room. He recognized this room—it was the Main Hall, at the top floor of the Order's Grand Temple. It was where all the meetings were held by the Executives, Commanders, and of course, overseen by the Grandmaster.

Except instead of a meeting consisting of the highest ranking members of the Order, there were only two individuals in the room.

One, a man, was dressed in an Ionian priest's robes and had his long greying hair tied up in a bun. He was kneeling before the other individual, who had one hand on each of the man's shoulders. This second individual was the source of the golden colours. It had a feminine figure and was shrouded in a gold aura that shone so bright that gazing at her was like gazing at the sun. The feminine figure's lips moved but words did not come forth. Instead, its voice sung to them in an ancient language made only of music and for some reason, the kneeling man understood. As did Zachariah.

 _Give me your hand,_ it spoke in its ascending notes. The kneeling man obeyed.

 _Give it to me willingly. You are not submitting to the process._ Its chords and descending scales urged. In response, the kneeling man relaxed his arm.

 _Good,_ the feminine figure sung before touching the man's palm with three fingers. From his position, Zachariah could not see what the golden figure was doing to the man's hand but he found out soon enough. After the glow faded to a faint yellow in the man's palm, he calmly stood up, walked over and turned his palm over to face Zachariah. In the man's palm was the same spiral symbol on Zachariah's infant chest. Slowly and almost ominously, the man lowered his hand until it gently landed adjacent to Zachariah's spiral symbol. He felt a rush of power surge through his tiny body before his vision went black.

All he could hear was the obnoxiously high pitched arpeggios ringing in his ear. He could only presume that it was the feminine figure's way of conveying laughter.

 _Excellent. You have stayed faithful to your end of the bargain, old man. The contract has now been formed. Your child will live._ The melody of her laughter said.

"Hey Zach—you alright?"

 _I'm not dumb enough to misinterpret what the vision was implying but . . ._

 _"_ Zach, speak to me—"

 _. . . but father would never do such a thing. There's not a chance in hell he would take such a gamble._

"Zachariah!"

Kaleb's concerned voice shattered his daydream like it was glass. Opening his eyes, he was expecting to face the infinite whiteness of the Freljord snow again but was taken aback by the beautiful scenery before him.

Zachariah was lucky to have stopped where he did, because with the snowstorm cleared, he could see where he was standing: at the edge of a cliff. But beyond the cliff were a myriad of different sights. Forestry was scattered about carelessly with patches of snow here and there, decorating the landscape with one confident stroke of life's paintbrush.

"The Avarosan Iceflow Glacier," Zachariah breathed in awe. "I've never visited while it was spring so I didn't expect it to be so . . ."

"Picturesque? Scenic? Yeah—me neither." Kaleb grinned with amazement. "I couldn't imagine such a place existed in Freljord."

"Well, I guess Queen Ashe keeps her land healthy."

Kaleb pointed at the sky. "What's that though?"

"Oh, that," Zachariah smiled. "That's her Hawkshot. She sends out her hawk familiars in random intervals to scout her territory. The familiars keep an eye on everything that happens within the Glacier, so it's hard to sneak in without getting noticed."

"And where does that put us?"

Zachariah chuckled. "It means we've been noticed."

 **. . .**

" _I'm Kaleb Reiyver. Thank you for saving mine."_

The memory was hazy but she remembered it nevertheless. Out of all the memories, this _had_ to be the one that struck her last. Part of her was grateful it happened while she was unconscious—otherwise, she would've been in significantly greater psychological distress if she had remembered while awake.

" _By the way, you know you took my first kiss right? Don't you think that's kinda unfair?"_ the boy had scrunched up his face in a cute, pouty sort of expression.

" _No."_ she had swiftly replied. _"That was how I was taught to save someone's life. By my mentor."_

That was true. Zachariah had taught her how to conduct a resuscitation procedure through only that one method.

" _Who's your mentor?_ Kaleb had laughed, giving her a strange look.

" _I don't see why I have to reveal such information to you."_ She remembered her reply had been curt.

" _Hey—I liked the other 'you' better. You've put on that cold mask again."_

Rosalyn had closed her eyes and sighed. It was strange—she could remember even the smallest details of this memory. Perhaps it was quite the core memory.

" _I'm sorry, but I hardly trust you. After all, we technically just met."_

" _Then where did all that kindness and caring nature of yours come from?"_

" _If you're talking about when I treated your wounds, it's how I would've treated anyone else's wounds. The doctor must always ease the patient into the procedure in order to ensure a smooth operation."_ Rosalyn almost forgot how methodical she could sound.

" _Hmmm . . . and I almost got deceived by how nice you were acting. I was even thinking to myself about how lucky I was to be treated by one of the most beautif—"_ Kaleb paused. This scene was most clearly embedded in her memory.

" _Forget it,"_ Kaleb had said at the time. _"I guess I was wrong. Sorry for being presumptuous."_

The boy had turned to leave when he felt a tug at his sleeve. This part—Rosalyn could not remember why she did so—but this part, she had pulled at his sleeve to hold him back. She had something she had to say.

" _I-I'm sorry. I'm not really good with . . . other people in general. After 'that' happened . . . I've only ever talked to one person. But you seem like a kind person so . . . so would you be willing to stay as an acquaintance of mine?"_

Kaleb had stared at her and then burst out laughing.

" _That's a weird way to put it, but sure."_ He had reached out and shaken her hand. " _Pleased to make your acquaintance!"_

Her memory of the instance ended there. She wasn't sure why, but it didn't really bother her. To be honest, she would rather the memories stop there.

Besides, she could feel it. Her surfacing consciousness. She was starting to wake.

A distant voice called her name.

"Rose . . . Rose, can you hear me?"

 _Yes idiot, I can hear you._ She thought.

"Don't worry, Ekko. Look—her heart-rate is increasing. She starting to regain consciousness."

 _Can you not narrate my every breath?_ Rosalyn wished she could open her eyes and glare at Karma.

"Rose—don't worry, you're going to be okay."

 _I know you imbecile. If you keep pestering me, I'll . . . I'll . . ._

 _I'll what? Hurt you? Kill you? And throw you aside just like I did with—_

"Rose what's wrong—are you crying?"

Rosalyn finally found the energy to open her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Ekko's boyish face, his brown eyes filled with worry. Karma stood beside him, arms crossed, with a small smile on her face.

"I-I'm not." her voice came out a weak rasp. "My eyes are just—"

"Save your breath, Rayven." Karma interrupted. "Don't push yourself. I'm only here to ask a favour. Whether you are willing to help me is completely your choice. I won't hold it against you."

Rosalyn nodded, prompting the Commander-in-Chief to continue.

"I'm looking for a man. I require his expertise on a certain area of Ionian history but I don't think I can find him without your assistance."

"Are you looking for a historian or something? Aren't there a bunch of those old men at the library?" Ekko gave Karma the most clueless look she had ever seen anyone give her.

"No," she laughed. Her false amusement left a bad taste in her mouth. "I'm looking for my older brother. I can't give you all the details yet but I do have a sample of his magic signature. So far, I myself haven't been able to track him using the sample but I'm betting you'll be able to. After all, you're one of the most talented Mages I know."

 _Flattery doesn't work against me,_ Rosalyn wanted to say, _but whatever._

She nodded and Karma nodded back.

"Thank you. I'm in your debt. We'll start as soon as you fully recover." Karma dipped her head once more, then exited the hospital room.

Checking that Karma wasn't planning on returning to the room, Ekko whispered to Rosalyn.

"Hey Rose."

"Ye-eah?"

"If you're really intent on destroying the Five Kings, doesn't that also mean defeating Karma?"

"That would make sense."

"Then why is she still helping us? And how can we trust her?"

Rosalyn did her best shrug given her limp posture on the bed.

"She wants something from us too . . . so it can be considered a fair exchange." She managed to say without her voice cracking. "Besides, one ally is one less enemy. For now, we'll put our trust in her but we'll be cautious about it."

"I guess that works out . . ." Ekko was still hesitant.

"Think of it this way. Our true goal is not to destroy all Five Kings. It is to destroy only of them, but if any of the others oppose us, we'll strike them down." Rosalyn explained as thoroughly as an ill person could've done. "Remember, the DIVINITY is not our main enemy. The EVOLUTION is."

* * *

 **Phew, I'm uploading this chapter ASAP before I fall asleep. (zZZ) I really need to improve my writing schedules, but I can't help it if I suddenly feel like starting a chapter at 12:00 am midnight :P.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as usual, if you like the story so far, FOLLOW it, and if you LOVE the story, FAVORITE it! Let me know your thoughts on the chapter in Comments/Review section below!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	13. Chapter 12: The Equalizer

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 12**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: I think the story is starting to near its halfway point, but this also depends on whether or not I decide to expand the plot beyond what is already planned. I'm also dropping quite a few hints between the character interactions that will foreshadow future events and reveals, so look closely and see if you can find them!**

 **Also, because I'm more of a 'dialogue' story-teller, I tend to spend a lot of time on the actual characters' conversations, gestures, and expressions, but I'm also not sure if it's everyone's cup of tea, so let me know if there's anything that needs clarifying!**

 **Regardless, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Equalizer**

"The Queen was nicer than I thought she would be." Kaleb said while dragging his feet through the snow-covered path.

"Well of course. Queen Ashe may carve her arrows out of ice, but her heart is still that of a warm human heart."

Kaleb bit down on the sandwich he held in his hands.

"But it's almost weird how well she fits with the King. I mean, Tryndamere has such a terrifying reputation, being known by so many as the 'Undead Barbarian', but when those two are together, it's almost like they're the sweetest married couple I've ever seen."

"Woah, am I sensing jealousy coming from your general direction?" Zachariah swung his head over to Kaleb dramatically.

Kaleb shook his hands in the air and rolled his eyes to return an equally dramatic reaction, but then proceeded with the conversation like he had ignored Zachariah's playful provocation entirely.

"Ashe just sort of gives him these innocent, pleasant smiles and he immediately understands what she wants, gently handling everything to suit her desires." Kaleb breathed out, giving the impression as if he were sighing longingly.

Zachariah looked up at the sky and smiled. "I know what you mean. I've seen that smile too many times before—"

"Huh? You have?" Kaleb's face was a sudden mix of bemusement and curiosity.

Zachariah's eyes widened.

"I-I mean . . . like how he pours her tea and adds the perfect amount of sugar for her r-right?" he said quickly, hoping Kaleb wouldn't ask in more detail.

"Yeah!" the younger boy agreed. Zachariah laughed shakily, secretly wiping his brow with relief at the boy's density.

The two of them suddenly hit a slope on the path they walked. Gazing upwards, they noticed that they had already arrived at the base of the southern-most Mountains. The temperatures around them seemed to change without warning, rapidly dropping.

"We're here."

"Soo . . . how exactly is this mountain-hermit supposed to help us find Yasuo?" Kaleb skipped ahead then bounced back to face Zachariah.

"She's not a mountain-hermit—she's a Stone-weaver. She was actually born in Shurima but was picked up by Yasuo and trained under him until they had to part ways because he didn't want a bounty to be placed on her head too. So she came here under his instructions and she's been training here ever since."

"What's her name?" Kaleb wondered.

At once, the ground beneath them shook and the rocks were scattered around the base of the mountain began to move. It could've just been Kaleb's imagination but the mountain itself seemed to tremble. When the tremors came to a halt, both young men heard footsteps approaching them from above the fog that made it impossible to see any further up than a twenty-five meters ahead.

A youthful looking girl with long snow-white hair held up by a golden brooch with a sapphire decorating the center of the hair-piece descended the steep slopes of the mountain. Despite the way she dressed, anyone could immediately tell she wasn't native to Freljord from her tanned light-chestnut skin and her stunning turquoise eyes. She wore a warm blue winter-coat, a thick blue poncho—their edges lined with fur—and black leggings with brown winter-boots.

"Her name's Taliyah," she beamed, "And she's definitely _not_ a mountain-hermit."

Zachariah grinned back at her. "Taliyah. How has everything been?"

"Boring and lonely since the last time you came and visited." The girl joked. "But the Queen and King entertain me just fine."

"You make it sound like they're your subjects and you're the ruler of Freljord." Zachariah teased.

"Oh please, Zachariah. You know very well that my ambition isn't aimed at becoming the ruler of Freljord." She shot back at him.

"Enough of your inside jokes, you two—I'm just sitting here like a dog freezing in the cold, waiting to be fed."

Taliyah looked at him like it was the first time she noticed him. She looked back at Zachariah questioningly.

"Your friend?" she gestured at Kaleb.

"My younger brother." Zachariah corrected her. "But you knew that already didn't you, Taliyah?"

"Hey, don't just point at me like that!" Kaleb complained.

Taliyah didn't say anything but Zachariah could tell he was right from her resigned expression.

"So where can we find Yasuo?" Kaleb asked eagerly.

Sighing, Taliyah crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry you had to travel all this way, but the answer you search for is not with me, nor with my Master."

"What—?" It took a while for Taliyah's words to sink in. "What do you mean—I need a proper teacher in order to learn how to properly wield _Vagus._ Who else would I ask if not Yasuo?"

Taliyah reached into her pocket and pulled out a small grey handkerchief.

"My master has already foreseen your search for him but he informed me that it was not his time to step into your life yet." She told him.

"Then . . . then how the hell am I supposed to—"

" _However,_ " Taliyah interjected. "However, he has left a gift for you that may assist in your growth."

She handed him the grey handkerchief.

"This is his gift."

"What the hell?" Kaleb was starting to become annoyed. "Why in Runeterra's name would he give me a handkerchief? I'm not some helpless maiden who needs a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her forehead. I don't need a handkerchief."

"This isn't a handkerchief, _boy,_ " Taliyah reprimanded him. "It's the _Cloak of the White Phantom_."

"The 'Cloak of the White Phantom' . . . ?" Kaleb repeated slowly. "What am I supposed to use it for?"

"Wear it only when you and Zachariah become one of the Five Kings. You will understand everything when you do." Taliyah replied.

"But we never really planned on—" Kaleb began, but Zachariah interrupted him.

"No, Kaleb—this is good. Now we have an actual, concrete goal to work towards."

"But how long will it take us, to get there?"

"I'm not sure," Zachariah shrugged, "But let's break another record for you, shall we?"

Kaleb sighed and ran his hands through his uncut, black hair. If he didn't sweep it back, his bangs would already drop past his eyes.

 _Become one of the Five Kings, huh. I've never really thought past simply growing stronger._ He pondered to himself.

"You know, you don't have to go all the way back to Ionia just yet." Taliyah's suggestive tone caught Kaleb's attention.

"Yeah, it _would_ be a pain in the ass to walk back with just a presently purposeless handkerchief." Zachariah added, stretching his arms in the air.

"Do you have something else for me?" Kaleb asked.

"Nope. But I do know the perfect place you can train with _Vagus_ without any disturbance whatsoever. I believe it would be acceptable in my Teacher's eyes if I assisted you in your training as well."

"If you're talking about these southern mountains, now would probably be the right time to tell you. I'm afraid of heights so I don't think I would be able to . . . _thrive_ in these conditions." Kaleb paced restlessly.

Taliyah shook her head. "Not exactly. There is a hidden passage leading underground whose entrance you can find approximately 800 meters above ground on the side of this exact mountain we stand underneath. That passage expands into to a labyrinthine system of tunnels and caverns, eventually leading to a training ground I believe will suit your needs quite well."

"Are we training underground? I'm kinda claustrophobic too." Kaleb grinned sheepishly while Zachariah gave him a disappointed look that said ' _are you serious right now—'._

Taliyah wagged her finger. "Once again, not quite. The passage resurfaces and it is then that you will have reached your destination."

"This better be some epic training ground if I have to climb up mountains and crawl through underground tunnels to get to it." Kaleb grumbled, but felt just a tiny tinge of excitement creeping up on him like a feline predator would to its prey.

The girl reached up to her elaborately tied hair and removed her the hair-brooch, letting her long white hair fall all the way down to her lower back.

"Don't worry," she said with confidence. "I'll be guiding you the whole way. If worse comes to worst, you can get Zachariah to hold your hand to help calm your nerves."

Zachariah turned his face the other way before Kaleb could catch him snickering.

"If you keep shitting on my like that, I might as well go back to Ionia." Kaleb complained.

"Alright, alright." Taliyah raised both hands up in the air, promising to stop tormenting him. "On a more serious note, you better prepare yourself. We're going to visit the eye of what is probably the most dangerous storm in all of Runeterra. We're going into the Gelid Vortex."

 **. . .**

Kaleb had several different ideas of what it would be like once he surfaced inside the Gelid Vortex. Perhaps the wind would howl in a roaring symphony of chaos and the extreme cold would seep through even the insulating material of his AOMF body suit. Or maybe the heavy snow would blind him with the force of a hurricane and the blizzard would pound at his back in the form of a thousand frozen hailing pellets. Even the possibility of getting caught in the powerful current of the Vortex and thrown about like a rag doll crossed his mind. It would be a story worth telling for centuries to come.

When he burst out of the end of the last tunnel, he was disappointed by what lay before him.

Kaleb had arrived at a valley of some sort, mountains piercing the sky on every side. A giant wall consisting of fog and storm butts circled the perimeter of the valley in a slow, almost peaceful manner, if not for the occasional streak of lightning and resounding echo of distant thunder. The area of the valley itself was quite vast but much of it was filled with scattered patches of barren trees and snow-covered logs. The large area at the center of it all consisted of an empty meadow of snow and dead grass.

Zachariah stumbled out of the tunnel a few steps behind Kaleb, squinting from the bright white light of the Freljordian sky. Noting Kaleb's look of disappointment he shuffled awkwardly to the side.

After a few moments of silence, Kaleb walked over to a nearby log, and sat down. He undid his mechanical mask and carefully placed it next to him on the log.

"I don't need the mask—I can already tell that the magical signatures within the eye of the Vortex are basically identical to the ones within our house and Master Zilean's _Diachronika Replica._ " He told Zachariah, sounding discouraged.

"Yeah, I guess I don't have to tell you, ahaha . . . I'm just going to—I'm just going to explore the area! Right, I'm off to explore!" Zachariah jogged off towards the other end of the valley in a hurry, safely escaping the air of negativity from Kaleb's sullen mood.

"I know what you're thinking. It's not as impressive as you expected it to be." Taliyah said to Kaleb, ruffling her long white hair to loosen it. "But the reason why I took you to this place was not so you could survive harsh weather conditions. I chose this as your training ground because of the virtually impenetrable walls of storms surrounding this place. You can keep the process and results of your training a secret from the rest of the world."

"I get that we have to keep my training with _Vagus_ a secret," Kaleb was already sulking, "But how am I supposed to get results from training in such a peaceful atmosphere? There's no challenge to it."

Taliyah placed a hand on his shoulder and moved her face closer to Kaleb's. She looked into his eyes, causing Kaleb to look away and blush with self-consciousness.

"You're a strong boy, Kaleb. I daresay you have the potential to become stronger than I am. And I draw power from the earth itself. But those gifted with immense power must learn to control it—not let it control them."

She spread her arms out, gesturing to the expanse within the valley.

"Look around you Kaleb. This is not a place where you will improve your physical combative abilities. This is a place where you will ponder the path you truly wish to take, meditate upon it, and choose its direction. This is a place where you will learn to control your emotions. In doing so, _Vagus_ will become a weapon that responds to your emotions as you _command_ them instead of becoming an impractical tool that rampantly changes form according to its master's fickle emotions."

Still feeling self-conscious from the lack of distance between them, Kaleb only took in half of what Taliyah had said. His mind was occupied with the fact that the only times he had ever been this close to a girl was with Karma and Rosalyn.

"A-alright, you have a fair point . . . umm . . . c-can you give me a bit of space please?" Kaleb struggled to find the words to form a full sentence. It wasn't a new feeling—he always became nervous and fidgety whenever he engaged in a conversation or interacted with any other girl that was not Karma or Rosalyn.

"Huh—?" Taliyah looked slightly puzzled at Kaleb's bashfulness. "Oh—my apologies, do you feel uncomfortable with me being this close?"

"No—I mean, sort of like—" Kaleb grew increasingly flustered.

"This is just something that Yasuo used to help me regain focus. I was hoping it would help you the same way it did for me but—" Taliyah shrugged.

"I know, I'm just not that great with—"

"Your lack of self-confidence." Taliyah pointed out. "Your lack of self-confidence is another sign of your emotional insecurity."

"That's . . . you're probably right." Kaleb sighed.

"Well, prove me wrong," said Taliyah.

"How?"

Taliyah stepped back.

"Draw your sword."

 **. . .**

"Probably the easiest way to command _Vagus_ to take a certain form is to assign a specific core memory to each emotion. Draw from your memories as to which moment best represents joy, sadness, anger, love, and so on and so forth, and channel from that memory the primary emotion you felt at the time." Taliyah advised from her seat atop a levitating slab of rock. Zachariah observed from nearby, leaning against one of the barren trees.

"For example?" Kaleb passed the bladeless-hilt-form of _Vagus_ from one hand to another aimlessly.

"Let's start off with a basic emotion: joy. Think of the happiest moment of your life and draw out its joy. Try to remember how it felt, then once you've got a firm grasp on it, immediately project the emotion into the weapon as if you were casting a stone into a pond. I know it might not sound like it makes a lot of sense but just try and _feel_ it. It should come to you naturally."

"There's one problem with that approach." Kaleb frowned. "It's a bit difficult for me to think of anything genuinely happy at the moment because . . . you know . . ."

Taliyah bit her lower lip. "Hmm . . . try a more combative emotion then. I know! How do you usually feel before a fight?"

"Mostly calm, but with a tinge of excitement," Kaleb answered without hesitation. In response, Taliyah grinned, clapping her hands together.

"Then let us start from there. Remember that feeling, isolate it, and project it into _Vagus_ as if you were telling him a story."

Kaleb closed his eyes and controlled his breathing. His nervous energy began to settle. He understood now—why Taliyah had chosen this place. The comfortable silence across the valley allowed him to concentrate solely on the intended emotion and avoid any unnecessary thoughts.

 _In through the nose, out through the mouth._

 _Think Kaleb, think. What usually goes through your head before a battle even if you are out-matched or outnumbered? That's right: 'Let's equalize the playing field.'_

A tremendous burst of aura sprung forth from the hilt of his weapon, enveloping it. This time, the aura was colorless but translucent, giving it the impression of resemblance to murky water. When the aura dissipated, Kaleb held a golden staff with three large golden rings at the top end, each hooked to a hole punched through the staff, positioned one on top of another. The staff stood slightly taller than he did.

" _Aequatore."_ Kaleb whispered as he lifted the staff up.

 _The Equalizer._

 **. . .**

A small man dressed in plain Ionian garments quietly entered the Main Hall of the Grand Temple carrying a small, wrapped package in one hand. He walked around the perimeter of the rectangular seating formation in which the Executives and Commanders of the Order were engaged in quiet, almost inaudible discussions with those beside them. Occasionally, someone would clear their throat and the room would go silent for a split second, and then the conversations would continue as if nothing had happened. Arriving at the other side of the Main Hall, he took one step up to the elevated platform, where a young lady and an old man were having their own secretive conversation in the shadows. Unlike the other men and women in the room, these two individuals sat across form one another with a traditional Ionian coffee table in between them.

The young woman noticed him first and nodded her head, prompting the small man to bow and take a sitting position a few feet from the two leading figures of the Order of the Lotus.

"What have you got for us, Surveillance Unit Chief Zelos?" Karma asked with a hint of eagerness in her voice.

"I regret to inform you that no major leads have been found on the suspects that you put a search order out for, exactly 3 months ago. They have disappeared completely off the radar—or rather I should say, they never existed on the radar in the first place." Zelos reported. "Unfortunately, this means that the actual thief that stole Kaleb's body also has not been found."

Karma placed her hands together and pressed them against her lips. "What about our guest assets, Rayven and Ekko? Have they found anything on Zachariah?"

"None, milady." Zelos replied.

The Commander-in-Chief turned to the old man. "Father, don't you think it's about time we revealed Zachariah's name to our guest assets? I'm sure it would assist them significantly in their search for them. It would benefit us as well as we're the ones who enlisted their aid in this search for Zachariah."

"Actually, it would help neither of us. If we gave them his name, it would not help any more than if we gave them a physical description of him. Our guest assets' strength is reading magic signatures, not tracking down lost men. In the end, they would not progress in their search and we would have given up a valuable secret."

"Are they not trustworthy enough yet?" Karma gave the Grandmaster a grim look.

"Considering that the girl had developed sufficient hostility towards you to investigate your past, even successfully discovering your familial relationship with Kaleb, I still do not trust them." The Grandmaster stated.

"Well, they can't really be blamed for being a bit hostile at first, taking into account the fact that the Champion of one of the Five Kings literally walked up to them and declared that she would help them in their quest to destroy the Five Kings' stalemate and take rank one. For themselves." Karma added.

"Enough, Karma. They are _guest_ assets. They are to be given only the minimal amount of intel to assist them on their task."

"Fine." Karma said resignedly before turning back to Zelos. "Proceeding to the next priority. Any news on the Black Phantom and his Mage, Thanatos?"

"Ever since their abrupt withdrawal from the scene of Ranked matches three months ago, there has been no updates on their status besides the fact that their rank has decayed from Gold II to Gold V. There have also been no sightings whatsoever of the Mage and Champion duo. Because of their extended inactivity, they have been stripped of their public status as one of the two 'Deadly Amateurs'—a nickname that they shared with Rayven and Ekko—and labelled as the Fallen Amateur. Ironically, now that Rayven and Ekko have risen all the way to the Master Tier, they too have lost their previous nickname and are now known as the 'True Challengers' because of their potential to break through the Great Wall consisting of the top 25 ranked mages and even 'challenge' the impasse between the Five Kings."

"Mmm . . . break the impasse, eh? That girl may just be the key to this mess." Karma smiled nostalgically and gazed out one of the windows. "That would be interesting. Now that I think about it, it's been three years since someone broke the Great Wall."

"W-what?! What did you just say?!" Zelos exclaimed in a whisper, careful in keeping the volume of conversation in the Main Hall consistent.

"Oh—you didn't know? It's not exactly common knowledge, but the current impasse actually consists of the top 26 mages, not the top 25." said Karma. "The Great Wall was actually created five years ago, but two years ago, one of the Five Kings, Caius of the Frostguard, and his team were defeated by a random solo-queue Challenger mage. Their loss was the result of a fluke, but it was regardless, recorded as a loss. This threw the Challenger Tier into chaos and the amount of Ranked matches per day skyrocketed due to the increased opportunity for other Challengers to break into the top 25, which caused the League's Ranking System to crash. Many of our ranks were scrambled and now, the issue is that we each know of our own ranking, but have no clue as to how the others rank on the Challenger ladder."

"Then what rank do you and your King hold right now, Commander-in-chief?" Zelos asked.

"Matthias and I are ranked 5th. Compared to the other Kings, we've been having suspicions that one of them, Caesar, has achieved Rank #2."

"Then do you have a clue as to who's currently ranked 1st?" the man's eyes shone with interest.

 _That's the Surveillance Unit Chief for you. Always striving for more._ Karma thought to herself and was comforted by how much the Order of the Lotus had grown under her father's leadership.

 _It's too bad that . . ._

"That's the main problem." Karma shifted uncomfortably atop her pillow-seat. "None of us know who Rank #1 is."

 **. . .**

"What the hell is this . . ." Kaleb narrowed his eyes and threw the letter onto the kitchen counter. "Why have we dropped down to Gold V?"

"If we are inactive for too long a time, our League points will automatically decay." Zachariah didn't seem surprised. "I thought you knew that before you suggested that we embark on our training hiatus?"

"Still . . ." Kaleb scratched the back of his head.

"It's not like we've lost our actual combative abilities. If anything, you've definitely become stronger."

"It's just—we have to work our way back up and it's going to be such a hassle." The younger boy complained.

"Right . . . you're just being lazy and—Kaleb! Can you _please_ put some pants on?" Zachariah exclaimed exasperatedly.

"What's wrong with wearing boxers and a long-sleeve shirt around the house?" Kaleb complained. "It's comfortable."

"What's wrong is that you're wearing _nothing_ underneath your loose cotton shirt and your tight boxers are showing off defined outlines of everything below your waist." Zachariah emphasized.

"That's why I wore this long-sleeve shirt—it's a size larger than what I usually wear so it goes down to my mid-thighs. See?" Kaleb pinched the edge of his shirt with his index fingers and thumbs from each hand to prove his point. "You can't even see my boxers at this point."

Zachariah gave him a horrified expression.

"That's even worse! You're going to look as if you're not even wearing _anything_ to cover up your . . . your . . ." Zachariah gestured around Kaleb's general pelvic area, unsure of how to describe it. "Your . . . your nether regions—?"

This time, it was Kaleb's turn to give Zachariah horrified look.

"W-what the hell is with that description?! N-nether regions? I'm not a girl!"

"No—! I mean . . . aargh—never mind that! Just put something on a pair of pants. It doesn't have to be anything fancy."

"We're living in a house built on top of a mountain, Zach. Nobody's going to see me like this. Like, who would ever walk in on us?" Kaleb waved his hand dismissively at Zachariah.

At that exact moment, a knocking sound was heard from the front door. Kaleb's eyes widened as he froze. Slowly, he turned his head towards Zachariah. His older brother was just as surprised.

"Shit! I left the door unlocked!" Zachariah whispered with panic.

"Why—WHY, would you leave the door unlocked?!" Kaleb whispered loudly back at him.

"Because like you just said, I didn't think anyone would even find this house!" Zachariah quietly retorted.

"Hello?" a woman's voice suddenly called from the front door, causing Kaleb and Zachariah to flinch in unison.

"Is anyone home?" she called after another series of knocks.

"Zach . . . should we answer the door?" Kaleb asked urgently. "Or should we hide?"

"No! Just leave it. If nobody answers the door, she might leave. And don't make any sudden movements just in case the individual at the door is sensitive to changes in the physical atmosphere."

Kaleb sighed. "You're probably overthinking it but that makes sense. Let's just stay put for now."

They then heard the sound of a doorknob turning.

"Excuse me—I'm coming in." the woman said.

" _Hide!"_ Both Kaleb and Zachariah thought of the same action to take but in their panicked scramble towards the backdoor, they collided into one another and collapsed from the impact.

The woman who was knocking on their door entered the house and as her footsteps grew closer, Kaleb pushed against Zachariah with both hands, who had collapsed on top of the younger boy.

"Get off me!" Kaleb whispered frantically, but it was too late.

 **. . .**

 **A few minutes earlier . . .**

On the steep, narrow path up to the mountain's peak, a moderately tall woman took small, cautious steps, careful not to and fall to her death. A man of slightly taller stature trailed closely behind her. Both were dressed in similar yet unique attire, sharing the same themes of golden armor and white garments. They both had long hair but the similarities ended there. While the man had beautiful golden brown hair, the woman had longer, stormy blue hair that almost looked grey in the sunlight. They both chose to tie their hair up in a ponytail but while the man used a simple, white string, the woman had an elaborate golden headdress-like hair brooch.

Reaching the end of the path, they hoisted themselves over one last ledge and climbed up onto the peak. The peak had a wider surface area than they anticipated, providing sufficient room for a few patches of vegetation to grow without difficulty. However, the main attraction on this peak was the two-story house that sat at the centre of this little secret nature-haven.

"This is it, isn't it?" the woman walked up to the house and examined it from top to bottom.

"It should be. It's the only house I see around here." The man chuckled and gestured towards the front door. "Shall we?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Of course. Let the lady take the initiative."

She strode up to the front door and gave it three rapid knocks, then repeating the cycle another two times with a five second interval between each.

Nobody answered.

"Maybe they've gone out?" the man guessed.

"Hmm, let's check just in case." The woman said before raising her voice. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Nobody answered.

"Yeah, I guess they've actually gone out." The woman sighed. She tested the doorknob out for no apparent reason but as she did so, it turned and the door opened up.

"Oh—it's unlocked." She said with a mix of astonishment and satisfaction. "Excuse me—I'm coming in."

"This politeness is very unlike you," the man commented. "You're usually the one to break-in and enter without the consent of the inhabitants within the house."

The woman gave him a look that said, _'got a problem with how I do things?'_ and the man backed off, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright—don't need to give me the stare. I'll stay outside to keep watch." The man told her and proceeded to sit himself on the steps of the porch. His partner smiled smugly at him and entered the house. As she did so, there was a sudden crash that came from the end of the hall. Instinctively, she activated her wrist-mounted crossbow and assumed a combat-ready stance.

"Get off me!" a frantic, feminine voice exclaimed from the room at the end of the hall.

With her crossbow aiming forwards, the woman edged towards the frame of the kitchen's entrance and found herself looking at what seemed like quite the peculiar sight. Two people were on the floor, a young man straddling the girl with long black hair who lay underneath him, with one hand against the floor on either side of the girl's head. He looked as if he was about to kiss the girl but when they both noticed the woman standing with her eyebrows raised at the entrance to the kitchen, they froze.

"Oh my—I'm sorry, am I intruding on something intimate here?" the woman asked bluntly. "I mean, I can let you two finish and then come back in to say what I have to say to Zachariah."

"W-wha-what are you saying?!" the girl seemed shocked. "Don't you think you're misunderstanding something here?"

"Hmm, my skills of deduction are usually quite accurate. Wasn't he just about make love to you?" the woman tilted her head. "Although—it's strange that I was not informed of the existence of a second inhabitant atop this mountain-house."

Zachariah's jaw dropped. "Make love? Why the hell would I make love to a guy like him?"

He pointed at the black-haired individual underneath him, causing the woman to take a step back in bewilderment.

"You're a boy?" the woman exclaimed. "Then why do you . . ."

She examined the boy from head to toe.

"Why in the Watchers' name do you look like a girl?"

Zachariah stood up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've been asking myself the same question ever since I started working with him. And he refuses to cut his hair too."

"It's easier to conceal my identity this way!" the younger boy protested.

The woman stroked her chin. "Mmm—my bad, I remember now. It was mentioned once in the entire document, so I almost forgot about you. You're Kaleb Reiyver, aren't you?"

For some reason, neither of the young men looked surprised. It was clear that they had already expected their secret to be discovered sooner or later, only this was much sooner than they had anticipated.

"Yeah, that's me." Kaleb stood up too and brushed the dust off his shirt. "And as you've probably guessed, this is Zachariah.

"I'm impressed with your audacity—neither of you are trying to hide the truth." The woman smiled.

"Despite all the hate radiating off of you like a stench, I can tell you're trustworthy." Kaleb blinked intently at her. "But honestly, what is a woman with so much hate serving the Green Father for?"

"Hate?" the woman eyed Kaleb guardedly. "What gave you that impression—?"

"I've spent the last three months training myself to hold absolute mastery over my emotions. In the process, I've also taught myself to read the slightest gestures, movements, and mannerisms to deduce an individual's state of mind."

Fascinated with the boy's observational prowess, the woman walked over to the kitchen table and sat herself down on one of the wooden chairs.

"And how did you know I worked for the Green Father?"

"From the _Markings of Life_ on your forehead," Kaleb pointed at the patterned scars on the woman's arms. "A friend of mine used to tell me all about the Green Father and how he granted those who chose to turn away from the dark, the power to purge the dark using life."

"Your knowledge on this is truly spectacular! Perhaps I should tell Varus to come in too . . ." the woman walked back to the front door and knocked from the inside.

"Oh, and by the way, I don't usually introduce myself, but I've deemed this a worthy instance. My name's Shauna. That man sitting on your front porch is named Varus. He may seem grumpy at first but he'll get friendlier as you get to know him."

"Shauna . . .?" Kaleb glanced at Vayne suspiciously. A moment later, his face brightened up as he struck an epiphany. "You're Vayne! You and Varus are one of the 132 top-tier legendary champions classified by the League—it's an honor."

Kaleb bowed his head respectfully, causing Vayne to shift self-consciously.

The boy laughed warm-heartedly. "Sorry, it's part of Ionian tradition to greet strangers this way."

"I see. Well, I appreciate your warm welcome." Vayne replied with a tight smile.

Zachariah exhaled impatiently; this idle chat was going nowhere.

"Now that we know who you are, why are you here?" he asked without reserve.

"Ahh—always to the point, aren't you?" Vayne opened the door and Varus walked in. The man waved but did not smile. "Those who hide in the dark call us the Arclight Hunters. The Green Father sent us to help you defeat the Golden Watcher."

* * *

 **I'm realizing that I'm using a lot of terminology and cultural references from the real world in my story (ex. japanese clothing, weapons, names) and other made-up AU terminology (ex. _Diachronika_ _Replica_ ) so in order for readers to understand the story with greater ease, I'm thinking of creating a Glossary on a completely different document (or maybe on my profile page?). Let me know what you think about this in the Comments/Review section below! **

**As usual, if you liked the story and you haven't already, FOLLOW IT. If you LOVED IT, and you haven't already (seriously tho? .) FAVORITE IT.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	14. Chapter 13: Path of Chronos

**ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 13**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: First off, I apologize for the delay in the update, but I _am_ working on two writing projects at once, as some of you might now, I've started a new League of Legends story called "The Sound of My Voice". Right now, my muse is really driving me to write for TSoMV, so if you're interested in a Sona fanfic, check it out! **

**Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Path of Chronos**

The four of them sat quietly around the rectangular dinner table, awkward and unsure of how to proceed. While Vayne fidgeted with the straps on her wrist-mounted crossbow and Varus polished his massive Arclight bow, Kaleb had managed to find himself a pair of pants and was tapping an abstract rhythm with his foot.

"So . . . how exactly are you planning to 'help' us?" Zachariah sipped at his tea little by little.

"Uhh—" Vayne scratched her cheek with one finger, then looked at Varus for support. Varus looked just as stumped.

"We're . . . not quite sure about that part yet. The Green Father is often _vague_ about his instructions."

"Then what did he tell you this time?" Kaleb asked.

Varus and Vayne looked at one another again and then spoke in unison.

"He told us to go greet the dead."

Kaleb's jaw dropped open. "Well that's not a nice way to put it—I mean Zach and I _are_ kind-of dead—but we're still _here_."

"He means well." Vayne assured Kaleb. "It's probably because he's essentially the Watcher of Life which gives him quite a different perspective of natural life and natural death from us. To us . . . just being able to breathe and exist in this world is enough to classify as alive."

"So what—he just told you to drop by and introduce yourself?" Zachariah said with disbelief.

"Pretty much." Varus shrugged.

"Okay . . ." Zachariah pinched the bridge of his nose.

"For now, we're to standby until an opportunity presents itself to us." Vayne said.

"An opportunity to do what?" Zachariah put his cup down.

"An opportunity as in an opening. An opening to kill Amina."

Everyone went silent.

After a minute, Kaleb raised his hand.

"If the Green Father, is the Watcher of Life, then why would he order you to kill?"

"Mmm—it's not exactly killing her. I guess hunting her would be a more accurate description." Varus said and Vayne nodded in agreement.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Kaleb questioned.

"No, actually, it isn't. Because she's a Watcher, every time she reaches the end of her current life, she reincarnates into a different vessel, one that her Eye deems worthy. The vessel she's using right now is around 500 years old already." Vayne answered.

"How do you know such details?" Zachariah felt suspicion crawl up his back again.

Vayne looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Because the Green Father told us. But don't take my word for it. If you do a bit of research, the myths of a feminine 'Golden Spirit' and legends of ' _She who Gives and Takes away_ ' date back to only about 500 years ago. What Varus and I, and most primarily, The Green Father seeks to do is to seal away her Eye when she loses her current vessel so that it cannot find another vessel."

Zachariah scratched the back of his head sheepishly. _No reason to be suspicious after all._

Kaleb leaned back on his chair. "I guess Zach and I are just supposed to continue climbing the ranks until we grow stronger—strong enough to match Amina's power?"

"It would seem like it, yeah. There's nothing much Varus and I can do to help you in that regard." Vayne frowned slightly.

"It's strange though. Why would Amina want us to train in the Arena instead of having us train in isolation or by any other means? She knows full well that if we manage to climb to Challenger and even become one of the Five Kings, we would be in a position of exceptional power and influence." Kaleb posed the question more to himself than the others sitting around the table.

"She wants something." Vayne crossed her arms and scrunched her eyebrows. She had hit a realization. "Something that only the Challengers, or even only the Five Kings can get."

She rested her elbows on her chair's armrests, locked her hands together as if she were praying, and put her chin on top of her knuckles.

"Perhaps even . . . something that only Rank one can obtain." The Arclight hunter said gravely.

"What might it be that Amina wants so desperately that she would even risk giving us an opportunity—maybe the _only_ opportunity—to fight back?" Zachariah hunched his back, taking the same thinking position as Vayne.

"We're not sure," Vayne gazed at Varus and Varus nodded back to confirm their lack of knowledge. "But what we do know is that unfortunately, you can't _not_ climb the ranks just to prevent Amina from getting what she wants. Like you said, this is our only opportunity. If Amina plays a game of risk, then in order to beat her, we have to play the same game with her."

"Actually on that note," Varus stood up, "I've figured out a way Vayne and I can help you."

"Didn't you say—" Kaleb started to say, but Varus shook his head.

"It's called the Midseason Raw Internationals. I overheard Khada Jhin mention it—might I comment that he was _quite_ ecstatic about it—a few months ago during one of those AD-Carry's Conferences discussing some insignificant petition to lower the consistency of ADCs getting one-shotted. Apparently, it's a new type of competition that invites all League champions and their mages, regardless of rank, to participate in elimination-style matches. There are no minions and no gold, only Champions being pitted against one another. It's a gamble: participants earn three times as many League Points with each win and basically anyone can join, but they'll be competing against the best of the best. The Five Kings are definitely going to participate."

Zachariah bit his lower lip and frowned. "Really? That's all there is to it? It can't be that simple."

"It's not." Varus's expression was grim. "There's a reason why it's called 'Raw'."

 _Oh boy—here comes the catch._ Kaleb looked away. _It sucks, how there's always a catch._

"There are no restrictions to the powers, weapons, or techniques that you use. No balance-changes to make the playing field fairer. The pain index is set parallel to that of reality and regeneration of health is virtually non-existent. That Nautilus anchor that typically does little to no damage? It's going to hurt a shit-ton more than the Blitzcrank pull that's usually much more punishing because Nautilus, in reality, is seven times the size of Blitzcrank. Your body in the Raw Arena will only be as strong and durable as your real body. The only attacks that aren't permitted are those that are on the level of 'Planetary Destruction', which will be monitored and enforced by the League's Star Guardians themselves. All other offensive techniques, the Arena will be able to contain within its magical boundaries."

Zachariah exhaled "That's a lot to take in."

Varus winced. "There's _one_ more thing, and I'm not sure if you can swallow this as easily."

He set his bow down on the table and walked to the glass sliding-door that led to the back of the house.

"The pain—it's shared. Every ounce of pain that the Champion feels, the Mage will feel in full force too. If Kaleb gets hit . . . he's not going to be the only one hurting."

The table fell silent again.

Kaleb let out a nervous laugh to break the tension.

"Anyone else want more tea?"

 **. . .**

Two small, hooded figures wandered in an endless plain covered with pure white snow. The freezing wind assaulted them from every direction, forcing them to take almost as many steps backwards as they did forwards. Their tracks in the deep snow lasted no longer than a few moments before they were filled and blown away by the relentless hail and blizzard, making it virtually impossible to return from whence one began one's journey.

The only way to navigate the hellish ice storm was to use, in combination, two very rare magical items known as . . .

"So _this_ is the infamous Gelid Vortex. No wonder even the native Freljordians try to stay away from this place." Ekko shouted over the howling wind.

"This is where the magical signature that Karma provided us leads to. But for some reason—" Rosalyn massaged her temples. "—for some inexplicable reason, we always lose the trace here."

"Maybe we should just head back to where we started and look at this from a different perspective and—"

"Wait. Stop talking and give me the damn globe. I need to see where we are."

"It's not called _the damn globe._ They call it the 'Guardian's Orb' here in Freljord. We're lucky Karma and the Order managed to procure this item for us or we'd be lost in this nightmare of a storm long ago."

"Ekko, just give it to me." Rosalyn stuck her hand out.

Ekko reluctantly placed a small, sapphire orb the size of a large orange, which seemed to contain an ultra-condensed swirling snowstorm in itself, in her palm.

"Fine, here you are," Then, after a moment, he added, "I thought you said I was to hold the Guardian's Orb and you were to hold the 'Eye of the Watchers'?"

Rosalyn stopped, turned around, and shoved her face close to Ekko's. Her bluish-indigo eyes gazed coldly into his eyes, giving off an intimidating stare.

"Are you an idiot?" she scolded him without raising her voice. "The Eye of the Watchers is not complete without the Guardian's Orb, which you place—"

Rosalyn pointed at the empty spherical slot at the centre of the greyish-blue lantern-like device she held in her right hand.

"—right here. This device I'm holding right now is only a Hextech shell created as a vessel for the Orb and its useless when used alone, but when you place—"

She took the Orb and placed it in the empty slot, which seemed to surround and suction onto the Orb.

"—the Orb inside the vessel, it truly becomes the 'Eye of the Watcher', which will shine a blue light towards the direction of wherever we wish to go."

"Oh." Ekko nodded dumbly and Rosalyn rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Karma explained all this to us before we left for Freljord. Were you not listening or paying attention?" Rosalyn raised her eyebrows, expecting an immediate answer.

"Umm . . ." Ekko struggled to find an excuse. "N-not really . . .?"

Rosalyn shook her head in disappointment.

"I was thinking about my new prototype design for my Chrono Blade, the QWQRE83." Ekko protested.

"Why am I not surprised." She said sarcastically and switched her attention back to the Eye of the Watcher. "Now . . . I had a slight epiphany as to how we should approach this clown fiesta of a tracking mission."

"And?" Ekko prompted.

"Maybe we've been going at this the wrong way. Maybe . . . instead of blindly following the blue light, we should consider what kind of situation we're in in the first place. I mean—every time we've been here, for the past two months, we've been stuck at the same point. We're not progressing at all. And it's probably because we keep relying solely on this device."

"I'm not following." Ekko said, scratching his armpit from within his warm cloak.

"The Gelid Vortex is classified as a non-sentient magical entity. It's not just any regular storm, and it's not some giant evil spirit either, but it _is_ driven by a residual magical source, which I bet is at the centre of all this ice hell. It probably has a self-growth mechanism that allows it to adapt to trespassers and in this regard, the storm or rather _these_ storms are very much alive. When I saw alive though, I mean that they can change the concentrations of magical energy across the body of their storm and effectively scramble any navigational device we're using regardless of the device's competence."

"Ahh—! I think I'm getting the picture now." Ekko brightened. "So because of the Gelid Vortex's non-sentience, we can safely assume that it is not capable of complex spontaneous creativity, and in mathematical reasoning, that it does not follow anything sophisticated—for instance, a randomizing algorithm—to scramble our navigational device but rather, a simple 'switch' mechanism. That's brilliant Rose! It makes our job so much easier."

"Essentially, all we have to do, is to head in the exact opposite direction the Eye of the Watcher points us to." Rosalyn smiled proudly.

"Wow, look at you, showing so much more emotion than you usually do." Ekko chuckled. "Then again, I guess the solving of such a predicament requires a mini celebration—"

Ekko's grin faltered.

"Rose."

"Yeah?"

"Look at me."

"W-why?" Rosalyn pulled down on her hood to cover her face.

"Just look at me." Ekko grabbed her arms, forced them aside, and lifted her hood. He looked alarmed.

"Rose, when was the last time you took your medication?"

"Yesterday." The response was immediate.

"And before that?" Ekko pressed.

"What do you mean?" Rosalyn tried to put her hood on again but Ekko stopped her, holding her arms back.

"When did you last take your medication before yesterday?"

"That would be the day before yesterday." Rosalyn said calmly.

"Damnit Rosalyn don't lie to me!" Ekko yelled over the winter's howl.

Rosalyn hesitated. "It was a week . . . a week-and-a-half ago? But—how did you know?"

"I'm not an idiot like you describe me to be. Your smiles. They're natural today, not coldly fabricated. And your eyes. The medication is designed so that when you consume the prescribed dosage of pills, your irises will change from their original bright-blue color to a more opaque indigo shade. Right now, your irises are indigo with a shade of blue mixed in—in fact, they're more blue than indigo. That means you only took your dosage recently and the side-effect of the medication is only starting to settle in. It also tells me that before that dosage, you haven't taken one in at least two weeks."

"I-I didn't know that . . ." Rosalyn sounded dismayed.

"Rose, you _know_ you have to take your medication every day for the treatment to fully work. Do you remember what happened the last time you neglected to take your medication for an extended period of time?"

"I'm not sure—"

"You entered a severe hallucinatory state and fell off the roof of a _fucking_ building. You couldn't control your emotions. I don't want anything dangerous like that to happen again, especially not out here in this desolate place."

"Trust me, it's not going to happen again."

"Just promise me to take your pills regularly."

"Okay, I will." Rosalyn assured him.

"Don't just tell me what I want to here to get me to shut up. You know—ever since . . ." Ekko paused and took a deep breath. "Ever since Kaleb died, you've been suffering from intense psychological mood swings, and even though I was against it, I let you choose prescribed medical treatment over natural rehabilitation because I knew it was for the best. Even though I was against the medication because it would deprive you of emotion, I knew it was the only way we would be able to achieve our dream."

Rosalyn looked the other way. "Kaleb was weak and I was disappointed that we wasted so much time with him—"

Ekko stepped in front of her, forcing her to face him.

"Do you _really_ believe that? Rose, it's been excuse after excuse, blame after blame, and you still haven't given me a consistent answer as to why you pretend that Kaleb was some useless little shit we hired off the roadside."

Rosalyn pulled her cloak close to her and avoided Ekko's heated gaze. The boy sighed heavily.

"Just give me the fucking lantern and let's go."

 **. . .**

"I see light—I think the opening is right up ahead."

"Well, I'm glad your idea worked, Rose. But what are we expecting at the end of the tunnel? What are we expecting on the other side of the exit?" Ekko was at Rosalyn's heels.

"Take a non-combative stance in case there are subjects outside that are susceptible to provocation, but be ready for any potential hostiles."

"Got'chu." Ekko adjusted the settings on his Z-Drive to _Neutralize_ and pressed _Confirm_.

"Ready?" Rosalyn slowed down as she approached the narrow crevice.

"Whenever you are." Ekko replied as he tightened the grip on his Chronoblade.

Both put their hoods on and climbed out into the light.

At first, it was blinding, as if the purity of the white light that shown down on them was smiting them, but as their eyes adjusted to the brightness, they saw a completely unexpected picture before them.

A calm, white snowy expanse, like a meadow during winter, decorated by a few patches of trees and bordered by an infinitely high wall of violent winds. It was like they were standing in the middle of a giant hurricane, where a secret little paradise grew. However, when they looked closer at the ground, the thin layers of snow seemed to cover up strange, black marks stretching long and wide. It was as if someone had scarred the earth itself.

"What _is_ this place?" Ekko said with wonder.

"Welcome!" a voice behind them said enthusiastically. "This the Eye of the infamous Freljord storm system known as the Gelid Vortex."

Ekko and Rosalyn whipped around and found themselves before a short young lady with a brown complexion. She was dressed in blue winter garments from top to bottom.

"The Eye . . . of the Vortex?" Ekko's voice drifted off.

"You two are a bit late to the party." The girl commented. "A month late, to be exact."

"Party? There was a party here?" Ekko's ears perked at the notion. "Is that why there are all these marks on the floor? Because people were partying too hard and made a mess—wait did you just say a month late?"

"Yeah I did. The last time someone was here was about a month ago."

"A _month_ late? That's not possible—the magic signature was still fresh yesterday." Rosalyn exclaimed.

"Are you looking for someone or something in particular?" the girl asked.

"No, not really. And if we were it'd really be none of your concern." Rosalyn answered curtly.

The girl smiled and sat down on a nearby ice-covered boulder. "Then why are you carrying an 'Eye of the Watcher' around?"

Rosalyn said nothing but quickly hid the lantern-like device behind her back.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you and your friend probably took the _Path of Chronos._ "

"And what, if I may ask, might that mean?" Rosalyn loosened up. She knew she was not a position to remain prideful in the face of the unknown.

"The _Path of Chronos_ is one of the several routes you could take to get here through the labyrinth of tunnels underground. You probably expressed the desire for the 'fastest possible route' to get to the source of whatever magical signature you were looking for, and the Eye of the Watcher pointed you to, naturally, what was geographically the shortest, most straightforward route to the exit. What the Eye of the Watcher doesn't consider though, is the magical properties of the labyrinth. The faster you want to get to the other side, the more the labyrinth speeds up time in the real world."

"You're telling us that . . . one day in the _Path of Chronos_ is equivalent to one month aboveground? Are you kidding me?" Rosalyn started to feel the frustration creep up on her. She was tired of searching. She was tired of treading through sand, through swamps, and through snow.

"Don't worry though, your bodies only age as fast as the temporal density progresses in each realm, so you've technically only grown one day older." The girl jumped down from the boulder and patted the snow off her behind.

"That's _really_ not my biggest fucking concern right now." Rosalyn dropped to her hands and knees and appeared to have trouble breathing.

"Rose! Rose, breathe and relax. Let me get your medication for you." Ekko frantically searched for the small cylindrical container in his satchel.

"H-how much do you think we d-d-decayed?" Rosalyn was struggling to speak now. "Do y-you . . . do you realize how—h-how much more t-t-time we have to spend trying to c-climb the ranks we dropped?"

Ekko handed her two pills and a bottle of water. "Rose, that's not important at the moment, just take your medication first and we'll worry about our decay later."

"DO YOU?!" Rosalyn screamed and Ekko flew backwards, crashing into the girl and tumbling into the snow.

"Rose, don't use your powers recklessly! You could kill us!" Ekko shouted over the unrelenting waves of telekinetic energy pushing him back. "Hold back, Rose! It's me, Ekko—stop using your powers against me damnit!"

Rosalyn stopped screaming; now, only tears rolled down her cheeks. Ekko fell forward and panted heavily.

"Holy hell, Rose, you can't do that every time you get upset. You're going to hurt someone sooner or later."

He took another two pills out of the container and fed them to Rosalyn. He let her drink the water herself, standing up and stretching out his arms and legs.

"What a way to start day." Ekko was evidently trying to sound cheerful, but it sounded fake.

The girl behind them spoke up.

"Mmm, maybe this is a good time to introduce myself. I'm Taliyah, I'm from Shurima. And because I sorta feel bad for you, I'll give you a name."

"What use is a name if we don't know it?" Ekko grumbled.

"Well it's better than having nothing," Taliyah argued. "Anyways, do you want it or not?"

"Fine. Give it to us."

"The person who was last here. His name is Zachariah."

* * *

 **I know I've mentioned this before, but if you feel like it'd be awesome for me to create a glossary for all the AU (and canon) terminology for this particular story, comment in the Review section below! As usual if you haven't Followed the story or Favorited it and you want the updates as soon as they get posted, click that Follow/Favorite button!**

 **Last but not least, don't forget to tell me what you thought about the chapter in the Comments/Review section below! It'll actually help me upload new chapters faster!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


	15. Chapter 14: Call My Name

**ONE FELL SWOOP**

 **Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action**

 **Author's Note: It's been over a month, and I know, I know, I'm so sorry, but I've had both exams and TSoMV on my priorities right now, but my muse suddenly called for a change of direction! I've had sudden inspiration to write another chapter for this story, and will try to update TSoMV and One Fell Swoop with equal effort! It will be tough though, as I'm still not really good at handling two fanfics at once. Thankfully, I've got Miria's help on TSoMV, so credit does go to her for irreplaceable support :D.**

 **Thanks for waiting, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Call My Name**

"Did you say Zachariah?" Rosalyn's jaw dropped.

"Mhmm." Taliyah nodded.

"Zachariah." Rosalyn repeated. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_ , this isn't happening. Please tell me this isn't happening."

"Do you actually know him? I'm surprised." Taliyah sounded slightly impressed. "He's grown quite adept at keeping a low profile."

Rosalyn pinched the skin on her arm. "He took me in when my village was burnt down by a bunch of filthy raiders."

Taliyah raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure we're talking about the _same_ Zachariah? The Zachariah I know—and the Zachariah that was just here a month ago wouldn't just adopt any random girl."

The girl squinted at Rosalyn. "Are you, by any chance, some long lost sister of his?"

Rosalyn gave her a condescending look. "Of course not. He was …" She remembered something and then blushed bright red. "He was like … a temporary caretaker. A very annoying, controlling, helicopter caretaker. B-but—that's not the point! The point is, if this magic signature led us here, and it truly belongs to him, that means—"

"That means Zachariah is the older brother that Karma is looking for … and Kaleb is his younger brother?!" Ekko exclaimed. "I have never been more confused."

Rosalyn froze. _Kaleb … is Zachariah's younger brother? Then why would Zachariah steal his body?_ D _oes Kaleb have some secret power that continued to survive even after post-mortem that Zachariah needed to harvest? I need to tell Karma about this … that Zachariah is actually one of the hooded figures she mentioned. Did …_

"Hold on, did Zachariah create all these black marks on the ground then?"

Taliyah smiled slyly. "Nope. His champion did."

Rosalyn did a double-take. "Zachariah's a Mage now?

"Yeah, he's been a Mage for a while now," replied Taliyah.

 _That would mean that the second hooded figure was his …_ Rosalyn stroked her hair—it helped her think.

"What was—what is the name of his champion?"

"Hmm, you're asking for a bit too much information. I've already given you more than I'm allowed to." Taliyah sighed. "But since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you one last lead. His champion's name, to be honest—even though he's new, you should've heard of it by now. Most people call him the Black Phantom."

"Rose." Ekko rubbed his temples and spoke carefully. "You know what that means right?"

Rosalyn understood but shook her head anyways. She didn't want to understand. She didn't want to know what it meant.

"If the Black Phantom's Mage is Zachariah, that means the Black Phantom is a _much_ bigger threat to our cause than we imagined. And you thought this champion was just another mediocre obstacle."

Rosalyn shook her head again. "So what? Surely we've surpassed him by now. We're practically biting at the tails of the Five Kings already. Soon enough, we'll surpass the Five Kings too and achieve rank #1. He can't stop us."

Ekko grimaced and continued.

"That also reminds me of another issue. You've told me about your suspicions against Zach for being overprotective and his efforts in trying to stop your participation in the League of Legends. Maybe you thought he was just a nuisance, doing all those things, like stealing Kaleb's body, in order to throw you off course, but I read something on the forums a while back talking about the 'Black Phantom'. Apparently, there was a champion from the past that shared the same name, and he was literally, I kid you not, a living legend."

"What's so special about that?" Rosalyn scoffed but it had no force behind it. "It's common for low-tier champions and Mages to take the names of retired high-tier champions or famous Mages to gain attention."

"I'm not saying that this Black Phantom is the same champion as the old Black Phantom. But I think their Mage might be the same person. Two years ago, a champion called the Black Phantom and his Mage climbed to Challenger in a matter of weeks and in no time, defeated Caius Frostguard of the Five Kings. That makes them on par, or even better than the Five Kings. Of course, the Five Kings used everything in their power to cover up this loss in order to maintain the balance of power, which is why it isn't common knowledge. To make matters easier for them, the duo disappeared from the Challenger scene shortly after their victory. However, what strikes me as more than a coincidence is that the Mage's name was Thanatos. The Ancient Ionian God of Death. And you know what Thanatos's spirit animal was?"

Rosalyn closed her eyes and said softly. "His spirit animal was a crow."

Ekko nodded. "If Zachariah truly wanted to stop us, he wouldn't just be any _nuisance_. He'd be an obstacle greater than even that of the 'Great Wall'.

"Go now." Taliyah hopped back up on her icy boulder. "You have a long journey ahead of you. I'll show you the fastest path back to the outside world."

Rosalyn seemed about to object but Ekko spoke first.

"Thank you, Taliyah. We'd really appreciate it." Ekko nodded solemnly, then gave Rosalyn as stern a look a boy could give. Rosalyn avoided his gaze.

"Oh and one more thing, before we head off." Taliyah hopped back down. She spoke in a hushed voice. "A word of advice for you two. There is more than one way to overcome an enemy or rival."

 **. . .**

Taliyah's words struck a chord with Rosalyn. If she had to be honest with herself, honest to Ekko, or honest to the people around her, she had actually known the answer to her obstacles all along. It had been embedded deep within a faint hope residing within her.

 _More than one way . . ._

The jade bangle on her wrist vibrated and a monotonous, almost robotic, female voice announced, _"Call Connected."_

"Karma?" Rosalyn spoke into the device. "Karma are you there?"

The violent snowstorm surrounding Rosalyn and Ekko made it difficult to discern wind from responding voice. Nevertheless, a clear, strong voice spoke up from the device, followed by a realistic three-dimensional hologram of Karma's head that sprung up from a small crack in the device.

"Rosalyn?! Where have you and Ekko been?" the Karma sounded worried. "You've been missing for a month!"

"Our apologies, we got trapped in a temporal-distortion labyrinth of sorts." Rosalyn apologized.

"A what?!"

"A temporal—never mind that, we have more important news to update you on."

"O-okay . . . what've you got for me?"

"Your older brother, his name was Zachariah right?"

"Yes . . . but how did you find out?" Karma's apprehension was evident even through the disruptive connection.

"If you wanted us to find your older brother, then you shouldn't be surprised if we eventually discovered who he was."

"You sound—this is only my intuition, but you sound like you know him." Karma spoke slowly.

"Coincidentally, and despite how I would hate to admit it, he's quite a . . . _significant_ person in my life. He saved my life four years ago and took me in until last year, when I ran away."

"Oh . . . I was unaware of such circumstances. D-does that mean he's still alive? Wait—is he _with_ you right now?!" Karma said excitedly.

"Unfortunately, we missed him by a month. Thanks to that stupid mountain labyrinth I mentioned. But we do have a lead."

"Tell me."

"We believe it's related to the _Thanatos_ persona you were searching for on the side. We believe that his champion, the Black Phantom is just another pretender but this Thanatos is the same Thanatos from two years ago. He's the real mastermind behind the Black Phantom's strength that you've warned us about."

Karma grew pale. " _Thanatos . . ._ from two years ago? That's not possible. The one who toppled Caius . . . he's back?"

"That's not the only news. The reason we know this is that we've discovered that Zachariah _is_ Thanatos. Zachariah is the Black Phantom's mage."

"They're the same person?" Karma exclaimed with disbelief."

"Yes. And umm . . ." Rosalyn inhaled deeply. _This is my chance to tell her._ "We also— _I_ also have reason to suspect that Zachariah is the one who stole Kaleb's body."

Ekko whipped around and grabbed Rosalyn's arm with bemusement.

 _What the hell are you thinking?_ His eyes scolded her.

Karma's brows furrowed. She replied immediately. "Not possible. If you know Zachariah is my older brother, then you know that he's also Kaleb's older brother. When . . . when we were still together as a family, those two were closer than ever. Why would he steal his brother's corpse?"

"That I-I'm not too sure of—" Rosalyn stuttered.

"Let me tell you, Rosalyn. Zachariah would never commit such an atrocious crime. It would be an insult to Kaleb, worse than murder. In fact, you probably misjudged the situation. From my perspective—though I know not of what reason you have to suspect my brother so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt—it seems that the mysterious thief is targeting Zachariah as well. Whatever proof you have on hand, whatever you've seen or heard, is probably just false traces to throw you off and frame Zachariah."

Rosalyn sighed. Karma sounded pretty sure of herself.

 _I guess I'm being too prejudiced towards Zachariah. He's not a bad guy after all._

"Rosalyn, are you sick, perhaps, with a fever?" Karma suddenly changed the topic.

"N-no, why?"

"Your face is a bit flushed."

"I'm not—! I'm not sick." Rosalyn bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. _Not now. Why do these feelings resurface now, of all times?_

"Oh, alright, it must be a problem with the connection." Karma said. "Probably just a glitch in the hologram. Anyways, since we're on the discussion of the Black Phantom, I've also got news for you and Ekko."

"What is it?"

"Recent intel from the League has given us a clue to the Black Phantom's identity. Apparently, the Black Phantom is . . . a _girl._ "

Ekko choked on his own spit. He grabbed Rose's wrist and shoved his face in front of Karma's hologram projection.

"Did you just say the Black Phantom is a _girl_?"

"Ekko!" Rosalyn pulled back with an irritated expression. "Don't be a nosy pervert."

"That's rude." Ekko gave Rosalyn an annoyed look.

"Hello Ekko. Nice to see you too." Karma said with a slight smile on her face. "And yes I did say she is a girl. Our deep intelligence suggests that this information is reliable based on certain _physical_ observations of the individual. These observations have been proven to be accurate and not distorted by illusionary spells or anything likewise. The Black Phantom exited the Champion's Chamber without his armor last week. Turns out, she seems to be a young female—though exact age unknown due to the white porcelain mask she wore—with a thin yet lean stature and long, grown-out black hair."

Rosalyn remembered Taliyah's words again. _There's more than one way to overcome an enemy or rival._

 _More than one way, huh. . ._

"There's only one way to find out if that's true." Rosalyn tried to say with confidence. She turned to speak her partner. "It's time to make a new ally, Ekko. Let's give Zachariah and his new girlfriend a visit."

 **. . .**

"Look what you've done Kaleb." Zachariah pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment. "I told you to keep your armor on even after the match ended. The body suit itself is too revealing."

Kaleb buried his face in his hands. "I didn't think people would notice me . . ."

"Well of course, they'd notice you. We climbed up to Diamond IV within a week after we returned to the League."

"Gold V to Diamond IV—that's not _too_ big of a jump, is it?"

Varus put his bowl of rice down on the table and sat with them. "Kaleb, that's a _pretty_ _big_ jump in a week."

"Well that's because we haven't lost a game yet. What else would they expect? It's just a winning streak."

"That's exactly the thing though." Vayne sat down next to Varus with an impressed grin. "Nobody has ever gone on a winning streak that brings them up two full tiers in that short amount of time."

"Actually . . ." Varus raised his chopsticks. "There was one pair that did it a few months ago."

Zachariah and Kaleb looked at each other and both sighed.

"Rosalyn."

"You two know her?" Vayne asked.

Both young men froze and then shifted uncomfortably.

Vayne chuckled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Got it. Sensitive private info. I won't delve further."

"Yeahh . . . it's kind of . . ." Kaleb began.

". . . Complicated." Zachariah finished.

"Speaking of which," Kaleb said, "We still haven't found a clue as to where Shirohime is located right?"

Zachariah hesitated. "Well, the man who I told you held the clue to finding her . . . he was killed last year. I just received the news from my sources two days ago. It was said that he 'died of unknown causes' but when I examined his autopsy report, it gave signs that suggested his soul was forcefully separated from the body."

"Amina." Kaleb immediately knew the perpetrator. " _Shit._ She's thought significantly ahead of us."

Zachariah exhaled and leaned back on his chair. "I'm sorry Kaleb. We'll have to find another way."

"Are you searching for someone?" Vayne asked with uncharacteristic consideration. "Varus and I don't have much to do as of now so we could help—"

There was a sudden knock at the door. All four of them froze and stared towards the hall leading to the front foyer. The door was within view.

 _Tap, Tap, Tap._ Someone was definitely at the door.

 _Did someone else find us here? A random stranger? Though, what are the chances of a common person finding us in such an isolated, hidden location?_ The cogs in Zachariah's brain were already working out a possible answer.

"I'll go answer it." Zachariah volunteered.

"No, I will." Kaleb stopped him. "You're the eldest son of the Grandmaster of the Order. Vayne and Varus are both well-known Champions. I have the least recognizable face and I have my long hair to cover up, in the unlikely case that it is actually someone from the Order."

"You mean your indistinguishably _female_ face?" Varus snickered.

"Ha-ha, very mature of you, _Varus of the Arclight._ " Kaleb rolled his eyes. "I'm going to answer it now."

Kaleb stood up and walked cautiously towards the door, making his footsteps as soft as possible. When he reached the door, he slowly turned the handle, pulled, and peered through the crack the door made with the door frame.

And he was greeted by a young female teenage girl, dressed in a traditional Ionian garb. A strangely familiar kind of Ionian garb. Kaleb was, for some subconscious reason, compelled to let his guard down despite the fact that he didn't know her. He opened the door wide.

"Hi, I think you have the wrong address—oof!"

The girl threw herself at him, burying her face into Kaleb's chest and embracing him tightly.

" _I missed you so much."_ The girl was weeping tears of both happiness and sorrow.

The other three had run from the kitchen and stopped a few steps away from Kaleb and the girl. They were utterly bewildered.

Kaleb turned bright red. "Umm—! I think you also have the wrong person . . ."

" _No."_ the girl whispered. _"Mmm . . . you still have the same scent too."_

"Who are you—?"

The girl finally detached herself from Kaleb, who stood there awkwardly.

"You know I'm a _guy_ r-right?" he stammered.

The girl tilted her head and gazed at him oddly. "Well of course you are. My master was always one of the most handsome young men out there."

Varus widened his eyes and covered his mouth, stifling his laughter. He couldn't hold back for much longer.

"M-master?" The expression on Kaleb face stole every ounce of laughter from Varus's body. Kaleb leaned closer to get a better look at the girl's face. "Wait . . ."

"My name is Ahri." The girl said. "Ahri Kitsune."

"Yasuo sends his kind regards."

* * *

 **Puzzle pieces just keep coming together!**

 **This story and TSoMV ARE my best works so far, so I hope I'm living up to not only my own standards but also you readers' standards!**

 **If you liked this story, don't forget to Follow, Favorite and Comment in the Review section below!**

 **Peace!**

 **~Nightrous**


End file.
